Midnight at the Precinct
by Saiayoko
Summary: Ryo meets Berkeley afterhours at the precinct and is once more asked to dinner. BerkeleyxIntoxicated Ryo, and later DeexRyo. –Full summary inside—
1. Chapter 1: Work to Relax?

**A/N:** Hello~ This is one of the few Chapter Fic's I'll upload that's chapters long. This was written as a conjoined effort between myself and my friend, Neferia. I hope it's acceptable! This will be the first time I've uploaded something that was written by two people, so I'm not sure how smoothly everything will flow... If you have any suggestions or catch something we missed in editing it, please let me know and I will do my best to fix it!

Disclaimer: Neither I nor my friend own anything FAKE related. FAKE is owned by Sanami Matoh.

Disclaimer #2: If any of you know the song 'Midnight at the Oasis', I want to make it PERFECTLY clear that this fic has NOTHING to do with it. We just happened to alter the title because it fit the plot line. Now don't get me wrong, I like old songs, but NOT that one. *Has PTSD related to that song* ... That's what I get for having a father who blasts whatever song he likes at the time across the house and in the car _constantly _for two weeks straight...

Now, without further adieu~

**FULL SUMMARY: **

Workaholic Ryo heads to the precinct to cool off after an argument with Dee, but he didn't expect Commissioner Rose to be working late that evening. After a few of their 'midnight meetings', Berkeley again propositions Ryo for dinner... Will he accept? And more importantly, what will happen when Dee finds out...? Alternate use for a scene in FAKE, book 3 at the end.

Rating for later chapters.

Pairings: BerkeleyxRyo, DeexRyo

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><p><strong><span>Midnight at the Precinct<span>**

_Chapter 1 - Work to Relax?_

"Ugh…"

Ryo sat on his couch, holding his head in his hands and feeling overall terrible from what had just happened. The argument with Dee had been completely childish and now the blonde had no idea what to do. All he had said was that he thought Dee had been working late and so he had already eaten dinner by the time the brunette had stopped by.

Standing, Ryo surveyed the room. It had been about twenty minutes since Dee had stormed out of his apartment, and between then and now, the entire place had been cleaned spotless. His bed was made, he had vacuumed the carpet in the living room, pillows had been fluffed on the couch, the kitchen was literally sparkling…

And Ryo couldn't stop thinking about how aggravated he was.

With another irritated groan, the blonde pushed himself off the couch and grabbed his jacket. Bikky was at Carol's that evening, so there was nothing left to distract or calm him down. It was about ten-thirty at night and he had first shift the next morning… so since he was so wired with frustration, he decided going to the precinct and getting a head start on the day's work would be a nice change of scenery.

Of course, the word "workaholic" came to mind as he walked down the street, but he pushed it aside.

The walk to the office wasn't a long one, so by the time Ryo got there, he still hadn't calmed down. Behind the front desk, a middle-aged man looked up as the detective entered, a confused expression adorning his obviously sleepy face. "Ryo? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Hey Kirk…" Ryo said, trying to force a smile, which wasn't too very hard for him. "I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd come down and try to get a lead for tomorrow." He held his hand up as he passed the desk. "Let me know if you need a coffee or anything, okay?" he added, knowing Kirk was the only one here at night. Because their precinct wasn't one of the busier buildings, they didn't need to stay in full working order 24/7. As long as Kirk answered the phones and dialed the on-call team when something needed to be done, all was well.

"Okay, man. Don't work yourself into the ground though! You have first shift tomorrow, so try and go home sometime soon," Kirk called after him before settling back down in front of the computer screen where he watched his streaming television shows he missed during the day.

After Ryo was sure the door was firmly closed to their investigative unit, he let out a loud sigh and shrugged out of his jacket as he walked to his desk.

"Stupid Dee…" he muttered angrily, draping the jacket over one end of the desk and pretty much slamming himself down in his chair. A new folder had been placed on his desk, so Ryo threw open the manila envelope and glared down at the paperwork before him. After a few seconds of attempting to read the case, a second irritated groan escaped him as he leaned back in his chair, fingers raking through his already slightly disheveled hair.

Hazel eyes slowly glanced up from the bright computer screen as he heard the sound of the door leading into his division closing. It was late, too late for any of the deadbeat employees to be returning to work, or returning for any reason at all for that matter. Berkeley Rose remained silent, turning his head toward his cracked office door. He listened for what might happen next, his long fingers resting on the butt of the gun that rested on his desk. Footsteps proceeded closer toward his office and the blond's fingers curled around the gun even tighter before he heard a man's voice, one that he thought sounded familiar, but…

Silently rising from his desk, Berkeley returned his revolver to the shoulder holster that he still wore and made his way to the door, squinting slightly into the dim work center. Nothing. Then he heard the irritated groan coming from the right side of the room and he soundlessly made his way in that direction. The commissioner paused as he spotted the culprit leaning back in his chair, hair unkempt and wearing a not-too-pleased expression on his face.

Randy "Ryo" Maclean.

Berkeley's jaw cocked to the side slightly, taking in the sight with tired yet curious eyes of the officer alone in his squad room. He just stood there, watching the younger blonde, almost as if waiting for him to do a trick. What could he be doing here so late at night, especially considering that even he knew that the detective had to be here early in the morning?

The reason for his late, or rather, early arrival intrigued the commissioner; so, just as silently as he came, off he was again, returning several minutes later with two mugs of coffee. "Putting in a couple extra hours, Maclean?" he asked drolly upon his reappearance, his right brow quirked in mild amusement of the fact that Ryo hadn't heard him yet.

Ryo's head shot up from where he had been reading over the new case file, his glasses becoming skewed on his face for an instant in the process. After a couple of surprised blinks, Ryo half-heartedly offered a smile to the commissioner and removed the glasses, folding them neatly and setting them atop the paper he had been examining.

"Commissioner," he started, thanking the man and taking the offered mug of coffee, thankful for the warmth that spread to his fingertips as he did so. "Sure, I guess we could say that," he replied, glancing down at the paperwork he should have been doing the next morning. "Truth is, I couldn't sleep," he lied as he took a sip.

_Damnit Dee… I'm picking up your worst habits… _he thought to himself as he felt the start of an upset stomach clench his innards. Before coming to work at this precinct, lying to a superior officer, regardless of how mundane, was against every moral he could ever have thought of. And now here he was, lying about something that didn't even matter that much. He looked down into the coffee mug, hoping that Berkeley didn't see the continued frustration swimming in his eyes, the jet black hues sending off waves of irritability towards his absent partner.

Unluckily for Ryo, Berkeley was impeccable at sensing others' moods and connecting them to their speech patterns, so of course, he knew something was wrong the instant he saw the blonde just moments ago. He didn't believe the excuse that Ryo gave him, or at least, not with the tone he spoke with.

He brought the mug to his lips, gazing over the rim for a second or two before taking a drink. The commissioner was usually fairly accurate in his assuming, being able to take a stab in the dark and still guess correctly. He was just good like that and prided himself on it. Then again, it didn't take his above average observation skills to presume what the problem here was.

"No thanks to a certain someone, perhaps?" he asked after pulling the mug from his lips, his probing hazel eyes back on the younger man next to him.

_Bingo…_

"How did you know?" Ryo asked, looking up with an honestly bewildered expression. Sometimes people wondered how the dark blond could be such an observant investigator with his obvious lack of self-observation skills.

Berkeley just stared at him- just _stared_ at him-, the light fading in his eyes and the muscles in his neck seemingly deciding to take a break, causing his chin to fall ever so slightly. Then he blinked and blinked once more before slowly pulling the mug back to his lips, his eyes trailing off to the side as he took another sip of his coffee.

There were times when he admired the younger detective… and then there were times that he just _wondered_…

Ryo flushed lightly as he realized his brainless move and immediately looked back down at his drink. There were times he wondered about himself too, and this was definitely one of them. How obvious had he been for Berkeley to know that Dee was the cause of all his grief? He had probably walked through the door to their office space and been transparent the entire time.

"Sorry, I guess I just…" he trailed off, swirling the coffee around in his mug a bit before continuing. "Dee just…" Ryo relinquished his hold on the cup. "He's such a child sometimes," he finally finished, flickering his eyes back to the other to see if the look of mild disapproval had been removed from his face. A look that was usually graced upon Dee being shown to him was more than a stab to the ego…

Berkeley waited a bit more patiently now, enjoying the sight of the barely visible blush that spread across the younger male's visage. He didn't quite care for the subject matter, or rather, the subject himself. The fact that Ryo was upset because of his partner was, well, a disadvantage for Laytner; but for him, it was quite the opposite.

He gave the other detective a small, kind, and even slightly teasing smile. It didn't surprise him in the least that Laytner was the cause of his Ryo's problems. The truth of the matter was, he was the cause for nearly the entire investigational unit's problems. Laytner was more than just a thorn in his side and had been from day one.

"You don't say?" replied the commissioner, trying not to sound mocking, which often happened when the topic of the rowdy detective came into discussion. He set his mug down on Ryo's desk, the dark liquid rippling lightly from the older blond's gentle movement. "Care to elaborate on that?"

Ryo couldn't look back at Berkeley in fear that look would still remain. Even though he knew that it wasn't something he should get upset over, being an overachiever by nature and already having his fair share of frustration for the night, he didn't want to chance any other stress inducers. Not that it would matter anyway, since he was already feeling the effects of being looked down upon in the pit of his stomach.

However, they were forgotten in favor of Dee's juvenile stunt from earlier.

"It's nothing major, Commissioner…" Ryo sighed, knowing full well that his own aggravation over the subject was immature. "He just… said something earlier, and then tried to convince me he had said something else," he explained.

No way was he going to look at Berkeley now that the older man knew why he was here. In the middle of the night. Doing work when he knew he would be here in the morning…

"I guess it just bothered me… how he could be so… so…" he trailed off, trying to think of the best word to describe Dee's foolish antics.

"Childish? Immature? Or perhaps juvenile?" Berkeley replied with a thin-lipped smile. He took great pleasure in saying derisive things about the crass detective, whether Laytner was present or not; however, discussing such things in front of Ryo of all people, especially considering he was thinking the exact same thing, was even more gratifying.

The idea that he and Ryo shared something else in common, with that being belittling the other detective's partner, pleased the older male. It meant that they had something they could talk about, which meant longer conversations and more time spent with one another, which ultimately, in Berkeley's eyes, meant that he had a better chance in pursuing the beguiling blonde.

"Find me a thesaurus and I can go on all night," he joked lightly, his smile growing even more as he cast a friendly expression at the younger detective. Berkeley leaned against Ryo's desk as he spoke, hazel eyes prodding the other blonde's temple, silently imploring him to look up so he could gaze into those peculiar pitch-black colored orbs.

Ryo couldn't help but smile and laugh a bit himself, even if they were describing his partner which, he wouldn't care to admit, he had grown quite fond of… But not right now. Oh no, not right now. Dee had his moments, but then there were times like tonight when he felt he could shoot the brunette in cold blood and still get a good night's sleep.

Of course, he would never do something like that… Pulling a gun on him, sure, but actually squeezing the trigger was something Ryo didn't think he could do. _Ever_. Not to anyone he knew, and certainly not to Dee.

The sound of the other blonde's laughing had a soothing effect on the commissioner. His expression relaxed, the tight smile on his face softening and the tired lines feeling as if they were becoming less strained. There was even this tingling sensation inside his stomach- most people would call it "butterflies", but Berkeley deemed the idea as adolescent and clichéd- that made his chest heave a relieved sigh.

Ryo was just so… No other male had ever made him feel this way and it was just so incredibly unbelievable that the younger detective had rejected him so far, or at least, so he believed.

"Alright, alright. I get the point," Ryo said, looking up at the other and meeting his eyes for a second, then holding it there for a breath before looking back down at his coffee. He had always thought Berkeley had a piercing gaze and tonight was no exception.

Except tonight…

He glanced back up, instead noticing the kind, or somewhat kind, smile on his face and the soft, well somewhat soft, features he was showing.

Berkeley stared into those alluring ebony eyes for as long as Ryo would let him- his coy demeanor was just one the many aspects about him that appealed to Berkeley-, but the mere glimpses did nothing to satisfy his hunger. To swallow those dark orbs, now that would be a truly marvelous feat that he knew he was capable of doing, if only he could capture them for long enough…

"Anyway… I just wanted to get away from my apartment tonight, and since Bikky was at Carol's, I decided to come here and get some work done." Ryo finally explained, breaking the spell their gaze seemed to cast.

"Well," the commissioner began, shifting slightly in his position as he remained leaning against the other's desk. "As much as I welcome your efforts and company, you're aware of the time, not to mention that you're on second watch in the morning. I'll be finishing my work in the next hour or so and I would like to see you packed up and out the door before then, understand?"

Of course, as much as he would like the handsome male to stick around until he left as well, he knew that they both had priorities. He also had a better sense of respect for the blonde than he believed Dee to have for him and he wanted to prove that to Ryo.

Ryo had wound up looking away from Berkeley a few seconds after the unnatural daze had fallen. His piercing gaze still forced a sliver of chills into his chest, and not being a masochist, Ryo would always turn. He didn't really know what it was though. To be honest, the commissioner had the same stare as Dee: a sharp, intelligent gaze that seemed to stare not at you, but through you. It made him feel exposed and vulnerable... a combination of feelings the young blonde did not enjoy.

Ryo glanced at the wall clock, the minute hand just sweeping into position at 11:48 as he did.

"I know…" was his half-hearted response.

Regardless of the coffee and frustrated adrenaline, heavy eyelids threatened to close and a yawn teetered in his throat. He held it back, which brought a sheen of tears to glaze over his eyes with the effort.

"I just want to go over the file," he explained, gesturing to the open case on his desk. "Don't worry, sir. I'll be here for my shift." Ryo was never late for work and tomorrow would be no different; however, he couldn't say the same for Dee.

Berkeley gave the younger male an interrogative stare, the kind that made you question your beliefs and motives in life, though, in actuality, he was only teasing the other blonde. He had very little doubt that Ryo wouldn't be back at the precinct, on time and on task, at the scheduled hour in the morning. Granted, he wouldn't be there to witness it, but he liked to make sure his subordinates were on their toes. Of course, the commissioner was aware that_ this_ subordinate needed very little reminding.

Still, he was Ryo's boss, after all.

Straightening, Berkeley removed his mug from Ryo's desk. There was really nothing else to be said. The coffee's effects were beginning to wear off and needed to get back to his own work before he grew too tired to complete it. Spending more time with Ryo was a nice idea, but quite frankly, it wasn't optional at the moment.

Before returning to his office, Berkeley gave the detective an affectionate pat on the shoulder, his gaze lingering on Ryo for a moment longer, before turning to leave with a hint of a smile on his face, content that the fact that he was now no longer working alone at the precinct.

Dark eyes flittered to and from the older male, still uncomfortable holding his gaze. Especially this one… However, it wasn't for long that Ryo was under the spotlight, and after a few more seconds of awkward silence, Berkeley returned to his office, surrendering Ryo to his work. A few moments after that, Ryo allowed a weighted sigh to relieve the pressure in his upper back. He truly hadn't expected anyone to be at the precinct at this late hour, and he certainly hadn't been prepared for Berkeley's appearance.

Regardless, the intimidating male had retreated into the depths of the shadowy building, and with him, some of Ryo's stress.

He didn't know what it was about the man that made him feel like this. It was very different than with Dee… With his partner, Ryo felt like he could unwind, relax- until the brunette did something stupid anyway-, and think about something other than work. When the older detective was around, however… He didn't know how to explain it. It was as if he wanted to prove himself a worthy investigator, but he couldn't for the life of him understand why.

Another sigh shook him, followed closely by a hearty yawn.

The case file glared up at him, pages of words teasing his headache into a hot throbbing behind his retinas. He closed them, summoning a second yawn that bubbled tears over his already watery eyes.

"Maybe I should just leave it for tomorrow…" he muttered to himself, glancing back at the clock. He had been sitting there mindlessly, numbly convincing himself that he should go back to his apartment and face the wrath of whoever was there. With a defeated groan, he set his head on the desk in front of him.

_Stupid Dee…_

Because of him, the blonde would be tired tomorrow morning. Well… unless he went to bed now. Then he could at least get some sleep... Unfortunately, this was oddly comfortable… Maybe if he just sat here for a minute, he would be able to get back to his apartment without passing out…

~.~.~.~.~

One hour and seventeen minutes after stepping back into his office, Berkeley Rose had finally finished with his work. With a heavy sigh, he pulled his glasses from his face and rubbed at his weary eyes. _This is what you get for waking up at four in the morning_, he told himself bitterly, slowly opening his hazel eyes and gazing blearily at nothing in particular. At least he wouldn't have to be back until after noon- not that it mattered much, of course. He would still get the five or six hours of sleep that his body had grown accustomed to, unless by some slim chance he actually managed seven or eight instead; of course, if he did that, he would be dragging around his home for an hour like the living dead before forcing himself to get ready for the day's work.

Leaning back in his chair, his thoughts fluctuated back to the half-Japanese detective. He had yet to hear Ryo leave, but then again, Berkeley doubted that, as tired as he was, he would have noticed the blonde's departure. A flicker of curiosity sparked within him as he wondered whether or not Ryo would have interrupted his work to tell him 'goodnight'. It was a nice thought and although Ryo was a nice fellow, Berkeley still wondered…

He shook his head. _No reason in pondering over silly ideas this late in the evening_, Berkeley told himself with a sigh. It would only lead to another night of resignation to an empty apartment and an empty bed. With that thought in mind, the commissioner picked up his things, hoisted his overcoat in the crook of his arm, and left the confines of his workspace. As he stood in the squad room, he listened for the signs of documents being jostled or a pen scribbling across paper or just something to let him know that Ryo was still there, but he heard nothing.

Taking a step toward the exit, the commissioner was going to leave without checking to make sure that the other blonde had left, but he paused. Curiosity scratched at his insides, keeping him firmly in place for a moment before shoving him in the direction of Ryo's desk. He was greeted with the sight of the blonde slumped over his workspace, his head resting on his arms as he slept. The sight was enough to bring a gentle smile to the older man's face and he took several steps toward the detective to get a closer look. As much as he wanted to, Berkeley wasn't able to get a good view of Ryo's face due to it being hidden by his arms and his slightly disheveled mop of dark golden locks.

_Stop being adorable_, Berkeley thought as he continued to gaze down at the slumbering blonde. There were so many little things that Ryo did that held an endearing affect on the older male and this was another of them.

He debated waking Ryo and coercing him to go home, but something inside the commissioner couldn't bring himself to do so. No, he'd let him sleep, but not like this, he thought as he spotted the other's jacket still hanging from his desk. Jostling the items he was carrying, Berkeley reached down and grabbed Ryo's jacket, gently draping it over the detective's back and shoulders. His fingertips brushed against the hair on the other's neck, lingering there for a moment.

_Let him sleep._

Berkeley sighed before pulling his fingers away and stepping from Ryo's workstation.

_One of these days, _he told himself with a resigned sigh. _One of these days…_

_~.~.~.~.~_

"IS RYO HERE?" Dee bellowed as he burst into the squad room, green eyes wide with something that resembled worry and probably wasn't too far from it. Several officers gawked at him, not because of his boisterous entrance- they were already used to that-, but at how early he had arrived. Dee getting to work fifteen minutes earlier than the beginning of his scheduled shift was unheard of and these guys better damn well make note of it.

Then again, it wasn't the other officers or detectives that he cared about.

The sounds of the office started beeping to life a little before eight am. The ringing of a phone somewhere in another room, the 'veen' of a fax as it relayed documents to another precinct…

"_RYOOO!_"

…and the scream that vibrated the whole place.

Ryo was torn from his dreams, standing up abruptly as he heard the summons of his name. At first, he thought that it was Chief, having found him asleep on the desk and assumed he had taken one of Dee's famous self-appointed breaks. There was no impending doom, however, and the tension in Ryo's shoulders relaxed as he pulled his chair back and slumped into it.

Except something was already there.

His brows furrowing, he stood again and glanced down at the culprit who had stolen his seat within the past few seconds of confusion.

It was his jacket.

Perplexed, Ryo removed the garment and resumed sitting, placing it back at the corner of his desk where he always put it. Why would it be in his chair? He stared at it, contemplating what had happened… and how he fell asleep.

Blinking, snippets of the previous evening fluttered to the forefront of his memory: the argument with Dee… coming into the office late at night to get a head start on the next day's case files… and the commissioner.

That's right… Commissioner Rose was there, even at that late of an hour. His brow crinkled again. Kirk and Berkeley were the only ones there, and- glancing around for reinforcement of his logic- there was no one else in the room yet. It appeared that even Chief had bypassed their wing and had gone straight to his office this morning.

His jacket stared back at him, its mystifying gaze sowing a seed of uncertainty in his stomach. Kirk didn't come into the back-reaches of the building. He just watched his videos at the front desk. So it had to have been Berkeley who had moved his jacket…

An uneasy feeling settled in his abdomen. The commissioner had been trying for him recently, almost exactly like Dee- except without the tackling part. But unlike his partner, Berkeley was…

"THERE YOU ARE!"

"Huh?" He didn't have time to think about it as Dee rounded the corner and hollered at him. Ryo blinked away the remnants of sleep and pushed the puzzling thoughts from earlier to the back reaches of his mind. "Oh, hey Dee," he said nonchalantly, having forgotten about their childish argument from the previous night in favor of his earlier train of thought.

"Don't 'oh, hey Dee' me!" the younger detective replied, suddenly not as upset as he was moments before. He was still pretty damn angry though, there was no denying that. He was just relieved that Ryo hadn't gone and done something stupid just because he yelled at him. Then he would be even more pissed, but this time it would be at himself.

"Where were you last night?" he continued, his face flushed slightly from the rush of emotion. "I went back to your place to apologize and you were gone. And I know you were gone too, because one of your neighbors yelled at me after I banged on your door for, like, ten minutes when you didn't answer."

_Must have been Rob..._Ryo thought, picturing the middle-aged man sticking his head out his door and shaking an angry fist or bottle of juice at the brunette. Rob was a recovering alcoholic, so juice was what he had been told to drink. Now, whenever Ryo spoke to him, he had either a large drinking cup full of apple cider or an entire container of cranberry juice glued to his side. He offered Dee a sheepish smile, the scene breaking as he yawned instead.

"Sorry. I just... I wanted to do something to relax, and so I came here to look over our case file for the day. I guess I fell asleep..." The sheepish smile returned, this time accompanied by a gentle closing of his eyes.

_Relax...? _Ryo mentally kicked himself. Who came to their workplace to relax? His eyes found the coffee mug from last night out of the corner of his vision. But... to be honest, it _was_ relaxing. After hours, the commissioner wasn't as intimidating as he usually was... but then again, it may have just been his sleepiness playing tricks on his memory...

"You come to work to relax," Dee repeated with a look one normally used for staring at the body of a half-rotted murder victim. Needless to say, it wasn't pretty. His frown deepened for a split second before his expression deflated to one of disbelief. "I swear, Ryo, you are one sick puppy."

His anger continued to dissipate, replacing itself with a sour feeling in his gut. The precinct was somewhere that Dee would have never thought to look for his partner so late at night. He would have to keep that in mind in case he ever pissed Ryo off and couldn't find out where the blonde had gone afterward.


	2. Chapter 2: Chairs, Cars, and Curbs!

**A/N:** Alright, so chapter two, yay! I won't waste much time in talking very much up here, but I will say that Berkeley's car is inspired by my personal preference of cars. I've been auto-less for over a year now, and the only reason for that is because my two Cadillac DeVilles are sitting in my backyard, waiting to be fixed, and I refuse buy something in the meantime because, well... I've been spoiled by them. Driving down the street in a Honda or a Toyota is all well and dandy, but floating in the plush, exquisite luxury of a Cadillac DeVille is just so, SO much more comfortable. And it can't be a Fleetwood or an ElDorado. No, the DeVille is just so much better...

Anyway, enough of me ranting about how grand Cadillac's are. Please enjoy chapter 2~

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><p><strong><span>Midnight at the Precinct<span>**

_Chapter 2: Chairs, Cars, and Curbs!_

Ryo wandered into the back offices yet again. Even though it was only his second time coming here after hours, Kirk was already starting to expect him. He even gave him a lecture about not visiting sooner. To be honest, Ryo didn't even know why he was here tonight. Bikky was over at Carol's for the second time that week, except this time it was to work on some school project, and Dee hadn't stayed over. It had been about two weeks since he was last here and the feel of the 'nighttime precinct' hadn't changed one bit.

Except unlike last time, he wasn't wearing a suit. Instead, he wore a blue polo shirt with a jacket hanging loosely off his shoulders and denim slacks. There was no need to worry about how he looked tomorrow, since it was his and Dee's off day. However, cooped up at his apartment for the evening, the blonde had started to feel somewhat bored. And lonely, but he wouldn't admit that to anyone at the office. Maybe to Bikky, but that was a different story.

And a part of him had wondered if the commissioner would be here tonight as well. A small part, but a part nonetheless.

"Hmm…" Ryo glanced over his desk, the lack of folders almost surprising him before he remembered that, for once, he and his partner had actually finished all the work they had been assigned that day. "Well, I guess I could help Drake out…" he mused to himself, wandering aimlessly over to his friend's desk and selected a manila file from the pile that had been dumped there. He smiled lightly as he looked at the mountain. Yeah, he would definitely appreciate the jump-start on this one with the looks of how many he had to do.

Really, he should be getting some kind of help. No one goes to their workplace when they were bored and certainly not the evening before a day off. "Maybe Dee's right…" he sighed as he settled down in his seat. He rubbed aimlessly at his hair before leaning back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling for a bit.

_Maybe he decided not to stay late today_, Ryo thought to himself as he allowed his focus to wander pointlessly.

Just as the previous night in which Ryo had decided to pay a visit to the empty precinct, Berkeley Rose was cooped up in his office, working silently on the last remaining pages of the monthly status report. It had been an exhausting month, to say the least, and the blond felt every last inkling of fatigue weigh upon his shoulders as his fingers danced across his computer's keyboard. His eyelids threatened to slide over his hazel-colored eyes, as they already had numerous times before, but he straightened in his seat and continued on.

He needed a break and he knew it, but he also needed to hurry and finish this last bit of work before heading out for the night. The statement should have been finished hours ago, but no thanks to the day's problems, he had been busy and unable to finish his report. At least he would be able to complete it before the deadline at midnight.

Mid-blink, he heard the sound of footsteps somewhere outside his office, and but unlike the last time his work was interrupted so late at night, the commissioner remained calm. Perhaps part of him hoped that it was the same late-night visitor that had come some two weeks previous. Or maybe he was just too tired to really be on his toes.

Regardless, he rose from his chair, eyeing the expanse of desks outside his office and immediately catching sight of the person who he had silently anticipated. This time, however, the detective was dressed in street clothes, which was more casual than he wore even on casual dress days. It made him look younger, more vulnerable…

Ryo's back was to him even as he fell into his chair then leaned back to gaze up at the tiles of the suspended ceiling. He apparently didn't hear him approaching, even though the commissioner swore that he wasn't being as stealthy as last time. Before Ryo even knew it, he was leaning over the other blonde with a tired albeit curious expression, his usual frown plastered to his face.

"Long time, no see, Maclean."

Ryo blinked, Berkeley's face materializing in his vision as a blur as he fell backwards in his chair. "ACK!" The seat rolled out from under him, hitting his head as he and the offending piece of furniture clattered to the floor.

Berkeley's weary eyes widened just slightly at the other's sudden flailing, his head tilting downward as Ryo crashed to the floor. Well, he was more awake now, that was certain. He didn't think he had surprised the detective that badly. Perhaps he really was just that deep into thought.

Then again, this _was_ Ryo.

"Perhaps I need to work on my entrance," he quietly remarked to himself as he peered down at the younger male. He blinked, wondering why he said such a thing aloud, and then reached a hand down to help the detective up. "I apologize for startling you. _Again_. Are you hurt?"

Ryo rubbed at the now sore spot on his head, one eye closed against the throbbing sensation in his temple. Maybe Dee was right and he was a space cadet when it came to these sorts of things… He _really_ needed to fix that.

"Yeah…" he mumbled, focusing on the offered hand before taking it, thankful for the assistance.

"Hey, everything okay up here?" Kirk shone a flashlight at them and Ryo shielded his eyes as he regained his balance. Kirk's somewhat mussed hair looked even messier than usual, even if it was cut just slightly shorter than Ryo's. He looked between the two men, nodding at the commissioner before returning his slightly worried gaze to the man half on the floor.

"I'm fine, Kirk," Ryo answered, grinning sheepishly at the security guard, who squinted an eye at him before lowering the light. "I just fell out of my chair, that's all."

Kirk stared at the chair then visibly relaxed. He obviously didn't get much action here at night, so any bump was investigated. "Oh, alright then. You take care, okay, Ryo? If you're falling out of chairs, you really shouldn't be at work, ya know?" He returned the grin, his sleepy demeanor falling easily back into place as he waved. "Have a good night, Ryo. Commissioner Rose."

Ryo closed his eyes in his typical 'thanks for the advice… I think?' way and held his hand up in gratitude. "Yeah, I won't stay long," he said, then sighed as he heard Kirk settle back downstairs and bent over to pick up his chair. "Sorry about that. I guess I zoned out for a bit," Ryo explained as he turned to Berkeley, this time remaining on his feet. One hand steadied himself against his desk as he leaned against the much more solid piece of equipment, checking his chair to make sure nothing had broken in his tumble.

The commissioner quirked an eyebrow at the detective's "explanation". He was more than aware of the other's habit of drifting off and, while he didn't normally tolerate it from his other subordinates, he endured it with Ryo simply because he managed to get the job done before the rest of his co-workers. Not to mention, he was able to take advantage of the younger blonde because of it, which made it even more worthwhile.

Of course, he really wasn't able to do much this time, what with the precinct's lovable nighttime security guard showing up out of nowhere. His opinion of ex-officer Kirk Hoffman was rather minute. As he did with all of his subordinates, he had read the file on Hoffman and deduced that the man was once a sad excuse for a cop, did his time with the force, retired, then came back to work in a different field. It was probably because his pension was so small for him to return, but whatever repertoire he had was enough to secure him in what was probably the easiest job on the force.

Needless to say, he had little respect for the security guard. Then again, after scrambling up the stairs in record time at the sudden noise, his regard for the other man raised a tiny fraction.

"No need to apologize. After all, I was the one that surprised you," Berkeley replied, a light smile now playing on his thin lips. He let his eyes drift down the other's figure for a brief moment, taking in the sight of the detective in his casual dress, and then returned his gaze to Ryo's dark eyes. "So, what brings you here this time? Another argument? Or maybe you just missed me?"

If Ryo noticed the look Berkeley had given him, he didn't react to it. Instead, he just righted his chair and flopped back into its cushioned embrace. This time, however, he made sure not to lean too far back. A sigh escaped him and he opened his eyes to glance skeptically at his boss.

"Neither, sir," he replied, the formal title slipping from him before he had a chance to catch it. "I was just bored, I guess… Thought I could finish up the work Dee hadn't, but for once, it looks like he was doing his job. And since I was already here, I snagged one of Drake's files and decided to give him a head-start on his pile."

Ryo nodded to the folder on his desk, fully aware that Berkeley knew what his friends were up to tomorrow.

"And…" Midnight black eyes vanished behind Ryo's eyelids as he closed them once again and he didn't even bother hiding the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I really like how the precinct feels at night."

For a second, Ryo allowed the verbal thought to meander around the empty room. After that moment, he pushed back into a more professional manner of sitting, a gentle blush hinting across his nose and cheeks.

"Nevermind. That sounded pretty weird…"

A tiny voice of disappointment sounded inside the commissioner's head at the detective's failure to catch onto the casual flirt, but Berkeley's expression never changed. He simply listened to the other speak, a tiny swell of admiration clutching at his chest at the other's admission. The smile on his face broadened as a chuckle managed to sneak past his lips.

"It isn't strange at all, really," he replied, leaning his thigh against the other's desk and relaxing slightly. "Why do you think I like to haunt this place so late in the evening?"

"Actually, I hadn't thought about that…" Ryo admitted, leaning forward and resting his chin on his hands, looking up at the other male. "I had always just assumed you worked late into the evening to finish up what you hadn't been able to during the day."

A newfound outlook on the commissioner began to take root in Ryo's mind and the younger blonde made an internal note to remind himself to ponder it later on in the week.

Berkeley mentally nodded at Ryo's assumption. This was very true, what with all the going-ons at the precinct and half of his officers making his life less than pleasant. He could have very easily accessed the system through his desktop at home, but there was just such a gratifying feeling about staying late to finish his business. It was also less lonely, which was something he would never admit to anyone; and with Ryo's recent appearances, his nights were now even less solitary.

Again Ryo looked around the office. The usual bustle and clatter of the day was gone, replaced now with an eerie serenity and the corners that usually held so much life were now shrouded in peaceful darkness. There were no pranks hidden under desks and no coffee purposely spilt over chairs. The only light poured from the overhead fluorescent lighting, and even then, Ryo hadn't bothered to turn on what hadn't already been left.

"I can see why you'd prefer to work during the late hours, though… It's much calmer than during the day." Another smile teased his lips, but it was quickly replaced by a look of concern. "Speaking of which, don't you have work to finish up, Commissioner? I wouldn't want to keep you from getting home on time."

At the other's sudden concern, the commissioner's eyebrows rose once more.

"On time?"

Now that was something he certainly hadn't thought of recently. Actually having a set time of the night to be home? There was nothing waiting for him at his home that required him to be 'on time'.

"Do you honestly think that the position of Commissioner of Police grants a person a specific time they can leave?" he asked, ignoring his thoughts in favor of something a bit less personal.

Ryo promptly looked back at his desk. "Sorry…" he said rather sheepishly. "I guess I just assumed that…" he trailed off and scratched aimlessly at his nose for a second.

He really didn't know what to say. It was just that… well, even though Berkeley stayed late, Ryo thought that there was just someone, or something, waiting for him at home, like a pet or even a housekeeper.

"I probably should have thought that through a bit more carefully…" Ryo concluded, sighing a little and allowing his hands to fall on the desk as he leaned forward even further. "Even so-" Again his eyes studied his superior. "You look… tired, sir." The 'sir' added in only as Ryo realized what he had been saying, and of course deciding it was out of line, thinking that adding it in would make up for his lack of discipline.

Berkeley blinked then smirked slightly at the younger male.

"I _am_ tired," he admitted then gave a casual shrug. "But that doesn't excuse me from anything."

Pushing away from the desk, the commissioner gave a tired grunt. Despite being worn-out from work, he had no intention of leaving the precinct any time soon, not with Ryo here, at least. In fact, he already had other ideas.

"Since you're here and I have about, give or take, an hour's worth of work to do-" Berkeley paused for a second, not really certain why he did. He wasn't nervous over what he was about to say. _Must be the lack of sleep kicking in_, he thought vaguely to himself. "Would you mind if I joined you out here?"

Ryo made a gesture with his hand to encompass the table before him. "By all means," he said, picking up and moving some of the folders and office materials from one side of the desk. It would be nice to have someone to work with that wasn't constantly in your face about what you were doing that evening or trying to distract you with witty comments about your hobbies.

"It'll be a good change of pace to have someone working with me that's _actually_ working," Ryo laughed, adding in his previous thoughts to the older male.

"No kidding," Berkeley muttered. He debated commenting on the other's partner then decided against it, as they were already having a pleasant conversation that excluded him, deeming it better that way.

The commissioner took a step toward the computer, picking up one of the folders that Ryo had moved then cast a fleeting glance at it before setting it back down. It was then that he remembered his own paperwork back in his office, along with the open programs on his desktop which would need to be closed before he could proceed with them out here.

"I'll be right back," he told the other, edging past him, and in the process, momentarily placing a hand atop Ryo's shoulder. It wasn't until he had taken several steps from the desk that he realized what he had done, but by that time, a smirk was already tugging at his lips. Despite his exhaustion, this was going to be a rather enjoyable evening.

"Sure," Ryo said as Berkeley moved to get his things, not even thinking about the hand that brushed over his shoulder.

Several minutes later, Berkeley once again joined the detective, clutching a stack of folders and papers with one hand, the other gripping a mug of room temperature coffee. Giving Ryo a nod, he set his things next to the computer. He left once more, this time returning with a nearby office chair, which he promptly collapsed in once it was in its proper place in front of the monitor.

After sitting there for a moment, staring at the computer screen and the work surrounding him, Berkeley turned to Ryo. He blinked, not realizing how tired he looked, then nodded at his mug.

"Would you mind getting me some more coffee?"

By the time Berkeley returned, Ryo had opened the folder he had stolen from Drake's desk and was flipping through the papers. The counter space was limited with both of them working there, but he was easily able to adapt to it and was leaning his head on one hand while gazing at the contents of the file when the commissioner spoke.

"Ah, no problem," Ryo replied, almost automatically, and stood from his chair. _Might as well get myself some coffee too…_ he thought, the beginnings of a yawn tickling the back of his throat.

It wasn't long before he got back to the workstation, pleased with himself for knowing his boss's preference in the mocha colored substance, and set the filled mug down beside his own steaming glass. A concerned look passed across his eyes, the black hues glistening in unease as he stared at the blond next to him. He looked more than exhausted and Ryo pondered the idea of trying to talk him into going home early.

Of course, knowing how stubborn Berkeley was, Ryo knew that wasn't going to work. He had tried talking Dee into, or out of, enough things to know that attempting would end in failure. He remained standing for a bit, gazing at the work spread out before him on the desk before settling back in his chair with a sigh.

"If you can't get everything done tonight," Ryo started, not looking at Berkeley as he positioned his reading glasses on his nose, the frames slipping slightly at first, "you always have tomorrow to finish up. Don't overdo it, dude." _Dee would tell me to take some of my own advice…_ Ryo thought, a smile tugging at his lips as he did so and got back to work on the file.

Berkeley hummed lightly at Ryo's words. The tiniest trace of a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as well, the "dude" at the end causing the rest of his professional mask to break and a grin to form. He leaned back in his chair, swiveling in it slightly so he could see the other blonde.

"Your concern is touching," he replied as he gazed at Ryo, the grin fading away to a warm smile. "I really appreciate it."

He wanted to… to…

But he was already so tired, that was for certain. He needed the energy to finish the reports and for him to be physically distracted would only hinder him from having them completed by their due time.

With a sigh, he turned back to his portion of the desk and continued on. "Unfortunately," he added, his tone switching back to his usual, professional one, "unless the precinct doesn't mind getting their paychecks a day or two late, I need to finish this paperwork."

Ryo looked up from his work, the glasses slipping down on his nose again. He pushed them back into place as he returned the smile. He didn't notice the stare, as he had once more looked back down at his own work; however, the 'unfortunately' did make him wonder what the older male was talking about- especially because the superior next to him had nothing to do with the payroll. That was all taken care of off-site.

Again he glanced at the commissioner and opened his mouth to question what he meant, but decided against it. Ryo had never seen Berkeley so tired and the fatigued edge to his occasional sigh made the younger detective wonder if he should have pushed harder in getting him to retire for the night.

But Ryo knew that even if he had, the result would have remained the same. Once again the file held his attention as he dismissed whatever deeper meaning Berkeley had been getting at.

Time passed. To Berkeley, it had felt like hours, though the clock on the computer screen showed that only forty-eight minutes has gone by since either one of them had last spoken. He had recalled taking several pauses throughout that time to either sip at his coffee or rub his bleary eyes. He had even considered taking a bathroom break, just for an excuse to get up and walk around, but that would only waste time.

With a very audible sigh, the older blond leaned back in his chair, pushing his glasses away to rub furiously at his eyes once more. He was finally done, finally able to leave the precinct, and finally able to center his thoughts on something other than work.

Weary hazel orbs turned to stare at the detective next to him, an equally tired smile soon following. He was too damn drained of energy and he knew it, but all he could think about now, other than how comfortable his bed would feel once he collapsed in it, was how considerate it was for Ryo to stay with him. The detective could have easily left him with his work, but he didn't and the older male was more than thankful.

And he'd be even more thankful if Ryo could put him up for the night, but that might be overstepping things a bit. Plus, with his kid hanging around, things would only get more complicated, and right then, he didn't need complicated.

Ryo glanced over as he felt someone looking at him, but not really expecting the older blond to be staring so intently. Without thinking, he looked back at his work before fully realizing that it wasn't his imagination.

"Ah, are you done?" he asked casually, pushing back in his chair and stretching, a bone popping somewhere in his shoulder. A contented look flashed over Ryo's face at the sensation, but quickly passed as his gaze shifted from the computer back to his boss.

Berkeley nodded, the smile fading just slightly from his face. Just watching Ryo was enough to make his muscles ache for relief from being hunched over for so long, but his own limbs felt too sluggish to attempt a stretch.

"Yes," he replied, not really feeling like being articulate at the moment. With a tired groan, he sat up in his chair and began to mentally pick through what he needed to grab before heading home, which thankfully wasn't much.

His thoughts suddenly drifted toward Ryo and how he would be getting home as well. It was late and while he wanted to get home as soon as possible, Berkeley wanted to make certain that the detective was planning on leaving soon after. He knew enough about Ryo that he lived nearby and often times would simply walk to work rather than deal with the traffic or transportation system. Had he walked to the precinct tonight as well?

"Are you leaving now?" the commissioner asked, hoping the inquiry sounded more like a suggestion instead.

"Well…"

Ryo looked down at the file he had been working on. Sure, it was Drake's case, but he was almost done…

"I wanted to finish this up, and then I'll be headed out. I'm starting to get tired, but I'll be fine getting home. My place is just up the block, and since I didn't drive, I won't have to worry about finding a parking space." A moderately sleepy grin melted onto his face. "Believe me, trying to parallel park isn't fun when you're half asleep… and speaking of, you look exhausted, sir. I'm glad you finished your work before it got too… well, too incredibly late."

Ryo continued to lean back in the chair, looking over at Berkeley.

Berkeley blinked, casting a less than amused stare at the blonde, or at least he had been until a particularly handsome smile decided to take over Ryo's face. He was about to open his mouth to agree, on the subject of parallel parking, that is, when the detective commented once more on his tiredness, but despite the distraction, Berkeley's mind had managed to stay focused enough on his original concern.

"I've stayed much later than this, trust me," he began, adjusting his glasses as he spoke. "Tonight's just been one of those nights. Lack of sleep and lack of caffeine tend to wear you down pretty quickly." He took on a more serious tone now. "In either case, as much as Parker would probably appreciate you working on his case, I suggest letting him complete it himself. Let's call it a night."

The commissioner stood, his back popping slightly as he did. It felt wonderful to no longer be stooped over a desk, not to mention he was beginning to slowly awaken from the work-induced stupor. As he began to pick up his belongings, he cast a quick glance at the other male.

"Let me grab the rest of my things and I'll drive you home."

Blinking, Ryo sat up and swiveled around, fully facing the retreating detective.

"Wha-Wait, commissioner!" he fumbled with his words, half rising from his chair as he did so. He wasn't sure why, but it seemed that if he stood up, he might be able to get Berkeley's attention. "It's really not a problem for me to walk home!" he tried again.

"And it's even less of a problem for me to take you," Berkeley replied, his sober expression fading away as he spoke. A tiny smile began to tug on his lips as he turned away, heading back to retrieve the rest of his effects. "As you said, it's just up the block. Both of us know how dangerous it can be on the streets this late at night," he added, casting another glance over his shoulder at the detective.

Not to mention he didn't mind in the slightest actually seeing for himself where Ryo lived, not that he was going to mention that, of course.

"I'll be back in a minute," he told the other before disappearing inside his office.

"But, sir!" Ryo took a step towards his boss before he vanished through the door to his office, the light flicking on and illuminating a patch in the darkened hallway. With a sigh, Ryo scratched his head and turned to look back at his work. Well, Drake's work. Gathering up the contents of the folder, he stuffed them together with a sticky note, a neat 'you're welcome' scribbled across the yellow paper, and placed it on his friend's desk. There wasn't much left to do, so he'd be at least one case ahead when he got in tomorrow.

There was nothing he had brought with him, other than what he had in his pockets, so he opted instead to just lean against his desk and stare up at the ceiling as he waited for Berkeley to return. Of course he knew how dangerous it could be, but he hadn't forgotten his weapon tonight. He patted his side just in case and felt the reassuring hardness of the firearm strapped to his shoulder holster. He was always telling Bikky to be careful, so he knew where the commissioner was coming from...

Again he scratched at his hair. It just felt weird to be getting a ride home from his boss...

It was less than a minute later when Berkeley exited his office, his briefcase in hand and jacket folded in the crook of his elbow. He was pleased to see Ryo already standing and waiting for him, albeit not entirely pleased with the situation he was being put into. That didn't matter to the commissioner; however, unless the other man told him that he absolutely did not want to be taken, his "offer" was going to remain firm.

Noticing the other blonde had nothing in his hands, Berkeley arched a brow. "Are you ready?" he asked, wondering if perhaps he had spooked Ryo into forgetting something.

Ryo furrowed his eyebrows just slightly. Seeing Berkeley with his briefcase and jacket made the younger question himself as to if he was overlooking something he needed to bring home.

He looked back down at his desk, the coffee mug he had used still resting on its naked steel top. With a mental chide to himself, he moved it to the coaster. He patted his gun, pockets, and chest again, assuring himself that his firearm, badge, wallet, and keys were all safely in place.

"Yeah," he said simply and pushed away from the desk, one hand snaking into the pocket of his jacket. "Want me to carry something?"

"Thank you, but I'm fine," Berkeley replied, and with a small nod toward the door, he proceeded toward the exit.

As per usual, he had parked in the rear of the building in one of the reserved parking spaces. He had refused the offer of having a placard to designate his personal parking space, like several of the superior officers- including Chief Smith- had, simply because he didn't want to highlight his vehicle for theft or vandalism. Parking in the reserved area was probably cutting it close, but it also secured him a decent space closest to the building.

Berkeley led Ryo to his vehicle, a Cadillac DeVille which was only a couple years old, but still shone and purred as if it were fresh off the lot. Like many of the commissioner's other possessions, his car was merely a reflection of his projected image: intelligent, ambitious, prestigious, and indestructible.

Not to mention it didn't 'drive' down the road, it floated, and he would probably debate shooting someone in cold blood if they so much as dinged it.

Alright, so maybe he did like his car, but, of course, he wasn't going to let anyone else know that.

To say Ryo was shocked would be an understatement. He knew that Berkeley drove a nice car, but this one? He had seen it in the lot a few times, when his boss didn't drive the squad car apparently, but he had just assumed it belonged to some rich hot-shot who wanted an easy parking space to work and had bribed one of the officers to give them their decal.

"Wow…" he breathed, half-gaping at the vehicle in front of him for a second before scrambling to catch up, a flush touching the tops of his cheeks. _Damnit…_ he thought as he hesitated in front of the passenger side door. _I must have looked like an idiot… I've been hanging around Dee too much…_ he concluded, hoping Berkeley hadn't heard- or worse, seen- the amazement that had passed over his features.

He couldn't wait to tell Bikky!

Okay, now he was being like a kid in a candy store…

"I didn't know this was your car…" he mused aloud as he got in, being carefully sure not to bump into anything that looked important… and promptly slammed his head above the door. He fell the rest of the way in, rubbing his head and muttering his pain to the air as he did so. "Sorry…" he mumbled, looking up to see if his head had damaged the frame or something.

Berkeley didn't even notice the other's awe, as he was more interested in getting into said vehicle, but he did notice the very audible _thunk_ next to him. He turned, very wide-eyed and much more alert than he had previously been to see Ryo rubbing his head with a rather pained expression. It wasn't that difficult to put two and two together and realize what the detective had done.

"Are you alright?" he asked, much more concerned over Ryo than whatever damage may have happened to his car. The blonde wasn't quite so hard-headed that Berkeley needed to worry whether an indentation was left from where his head had rammed into the doorframe. _Hopefully it didn't cause him to have a concussion_, Berkeley thought to himself as he stared at Ryo apprehensively.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" said hard-headed blonde responded, glaring slightly at the offensive piece of machinery before forgiving it and sighing in defeat. "The worst I'll be is getting a headache, which I'll just sleep off."

A sheepish smile accompanied the slight chuckle that escaped him now, the initial pain settling into a dull throb.

"I guess I'm more tired than I thought. Thanks for the ride home."

Berkeley smiled back. "You're welcome," he replied, reaching over and giving Ryo a reassuring pat on the thigh. Even though he was sleepy, his mind registered the firm muscles of the blonde's leg through the fabric of his pants and immediately his hand sought to touch the leg once more. His fingers twitched stubbornly, but the commissioner decided against it. _Not right after he injured his head,_ Berkeley berated himself, unable to hide his somewhat crestfallen expression.

His hand begrudgingly made its way to the gear shift, putting it in reverse and pulling out of the parking space. The lot was mostly packed with police cruisers, though a small handful of personal vehicles remained from the officers who were patrolling overnight. They drove past Kirk's vehicle, an older looking Ford that was probably from the previous decade before coming to the exit.

"Take a left here," Ryo instructed as they got to the stop sign and tried to stifle a yawn. He failed and wound up needing to pause in his next instruction to put a hand over his mouth in an attempt to keep the yawn contained. "My building should be just around this corner."

Berkeley followed the other's directions, grateful of how simple it was to find his apartment. Despite the traffic, as even though it was late and Ryo's apartment was on a main street, it didn't take but about five minutes to get there. Part of him regretted the short distance, as it didn't allow much time for conversation or further enjoyment of the blonde's company, but he knew that this was a blessing in disguise. Even though he already knew how to get to Ryo's home from reviewing the detective's files, perhaps next time he would actually be allowed inside it, he mused, the barest of smiles touching his lips.

Pulling alongside the building's entrance, the older male turned toward his colleague, his smile further widening as he awaited the other's words of parting and appreciation. Another downfall of the short drive was that, in his tired state, he couldn't think of exactly what he wanted to do to the detective. He wanted to do _something_, but what? He certainly couldn't have done much, what with the lack of time as well as having been needing to pay attention to the other's directions. The thought of pulling to the curb and kissing Ryo had at one point drifted across his hazy mind, but he didn't want to risk alarming the blonde and him walking home; granted, that wouldn't have been very gentlemanly either, but, fortunately for Ryo, he was more interested in locating his home than anything.

He would be patient, as he had been, but he knew that patience wouldn't win him the prize he wanted. Laytner probably didn't have the word in his vocabulary, and yet…

The thought burned him, knotted his stomach and clawed at his heart. How could Ryo be attracted to something like… that? He was able to win the affections of numerous women on just charm and wit alone. He could tell if they were interested in him or merely in his status or money. Ryo was interested in him, that was clear enough, but to what extent and, more importantly, how could he broaden it?

Berkeley hadn't said anything during the ride and even now the older man was silent. To be honest, it unnerved Ryo a little. Black eyes flittered to his boss as the sleek car stopped in front of his building. The smile that greeted him didn't make him feel much better, but he smiled back nonetheless. He was probably just tired and over-thinking the whole situation.

"Thanks for the ride," he started, looking around for his case before remembering he hadn't brought it with him. "I, uh… I'll be seeing you, I guess, day after tomorrow," he finished, his smile turning a bit sheepish. His fingers fumbled against the door and he actually had to look over before finally locating the handle. "Thanks again," he added before undoing the latch…

Berkeley nodded and hummed at Ryo's words, still too concentrated in his previous thoughts before finally speaking up. "You're welcome," he said, his voice sounding a tad strained. He cleared his throat as quietly as he could and he added, "And in the future, if you ever need another ride-" The commissioner left his sentence unfinished, figuring his offer was obvious enough to need to complete it.

"Yes, thank you." Even though he knew Dee would never allow him to ride with Berkeley on his off time and would more than likely go out of his way to make sure it didn't happen, the offer was still welcome. As it stood, Ryo might even take him up on it if Dee didn't tone down his childish antics.

As he watched the blonde turn so he could locate the door handle, the same need that had stirred inside him throughout the night arose once more, this time swelling even greater. Muscles tensed, eyes widened, nostrils flared, and before he knew it, his mouth opened as well.

"Ryo," he called before the other could exit the vehicle, trying not to voice the urgency that he felt.

With one foot half-way out the door, Berkeley called him, and his tone made Ryo freeze. Had he done something wrong? Had the commissioner gotten some kind of feeling that something was going to happen that he would be needed for? Did Berkeley even get those feelings?

He was watching too many cop shows…

These thoughts flew through his mind in only a second or so and he was already turning his head as he stopped the ridiculous train of thinking.

"Yeah?" He could see Berkeley clearly now with the light of the car, but the surrounding shadows still played with his image. Even though the look on his face should have been familiar to the blonde, what with being partnered with Dee and all, but of course—Ryo didn't catch it.

Berkeley was already leaning toward Ryo as he responded, his mouth almost immediately clamping onto the blonde's before the other could do anything about it. He didn't grip the detective's jacket or thigh like he had originally debated in his frenzy of thoughts, but from as firm a kiss as it was, it wasn't as if Ryo could immediately pull away from it, or so the commissioner hoped anyway.

A small sigh flitted from his nostrils from the excitement and relief of finally having being able to take Ryo's mouth in his. With the brief tug of the other blonde's bottom lip, Berkeley finally pulled away, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction and amusement.

"_Thank you_," he said, his lips several inches away from Ryo's before leaning back the rest of the way. The corners of his mouth were curled upward into a devilish grin as he stared at the other male. "For the company, that is."

Ryo blinked, his eyes widening as Berkeley's warm lips pressed into his own. The kiss was short, maybe a second or two, and the younger didn't have time to collect his thoughts, process the collected pieces of his mind, and react to it all before the commissioner pulled away. That and he was too tired for an instant response… The gentle puff of air tickled his nose, the tingling melting down into his lips as he sat there, perplexed as to what had just occurred. A mild sigh had fallen from his mouth at the nip, and still his bottom lip prickled with the lasting sensation. Ryo was aghast he had even made the sound and he had to make sure his voice would not betray him again before speaking.

"Uhh… Anytime?" he answered, not quite sure what to say.

But getting out of the car seemed like a very, _very_ good idea right about now.

Ryo pushed himself out of the vehicle, a second farewell planning in his voice box only to be interrupted by a surprised intake of breath as he tripped on the curb. He stumbled a bit before catching traction on the cold concrete. The nip in the air helped cool his face, dulling the lingering effect of the kiss and allowing his sleepy mind to begin functioning properly once again.

"Get a good sleep, sir. Don't, uhh… don't collapse at work tomorrow… or something…" he added as he closed the door, straightening and shoving one hand in his pocket. He held the other up in parting as he headed for the apartment entrance. He could still feel the warmth of Berkeley's lips, their calloused yet soft texture against his own… Shaking his head, he stood in the crisp air another second to push simpler thoughts to the forefront of his mind. The idea of his bed beckoned and Ryo toyed with adding a shower before answering its alluring call.

Berkeley smirked at the blonde's thoughtless response. To say that he was pleased that Ryo hadn't broken the kiss or pushed him away was an understatement. His insides did a little dance of glee for a brief moment, but abruptly stopped once Ryo pulled himself from the car. Part of him wanted to drag the detective back in for another kiss while the other, which ended up winning out, told himself that one kiss was enough for tonight. Ryo would need to be worked slow and gently. They were both tired, and, in all honestly, he knew he really didn't have the prowess to seduce the younger male tonight.

He watched the blonde exit his car, his hazel eyes narrowing on the slight curve of the other's ass. Vaguely, he wondered how it would feel against his hand, fingers curling against the fabric of his trousers, and perhaps even against the supple skin underneath, but his thoughts were interrupted as Ryo suddenly pitched forward.

Berkeley's eyes widened, but before he had the chance to exclaim or hop out of the car to see to the detective, Ryo had caught himself. Whether the other had tripped from tiredness or from the lingering effects of the kiss, Berkeley didn't know, but his ego hoped that it was the latter. He rather liked the idea that he could have that sort of effect on the blonde.

"Same to you," he replied in a confident yet teasing tone before Ryo shut the passenger's door. He waved back, trying not to look as smug as he felt, and watched as the blonde headed toward his building.

His eyes traveled once more to the detective's backside and the smugness that he was holding back crept onto his smile. As much as he hated seeing the other go, the commissioner couldn't deny his enjoyment of watching Ryo leave. With that thought in mind, Berkeley tore his gaze back to the road, shifted the car into drive, and headed home, smiling lightly to himself all the while.

~.~.~.~.~

Bikky stared out the window at the car as it idled outside his apartment building. One eye squinted at it, trying his hardest to discern who could be in the driver's seat. He watched Ryo exit and trip on the curb, which distracted the boy for a second before his parent turned around, renewing his interest in the mysterious person. A couple seconds later, the car began rolling away, and Bikky was forced to stick his face to the window in an attempt at one last look. Ryo had gotten out of that car and even spoken to the driver. And that car wasn't Dee's.

He leaned back, folding his arms over his bare chest and pondered the thought for awhile. Maybe Ryo was finally taking his advice and leaving that good-for-nothing perverted waste of space for some pretty women- and if Ryo wanted to, he could have his pick of the litter! Girls always fell for the dense ones and Ryo definitely fit that description.

The click of the lock sounded in the living room and the boy's ears perked slightly as he listened for his 'mama' to fully arrive.

Ryo closed the door, expecting Bikky to be at Carol's for the night, and looked around the dark apartment. It was just a little after 11:30… _I hope Bikky is finished with his project_… he mused, trying to keep his mind off the kiss from just moments before. He shrugged out of his jacket with a sigh, hanging it in the closet near the door before scratching his hair and turning to glance at the kitchen… Maybe a snack would do him good… That and the preparations would definitely distract him.

"Yo," Bikky gazed up at him and Ryo jumped slightly with his appearance. He had, somehow, managed to leave his room without making a sound... which wasn't anything new; however, Ryo had yet to get used to it.

"B-Bikky?" he blinked at the boy, whose sharp blue eyes stared at him in that calculatingly intimidating way that set the detective wondering if he knew everything that had happened just by looking at him. Ryo could feel a bead of sweat drip down the side of his face as he placed one hand on his hip, matching the glare the best he could. "Weren't you going to be at Carol's tonight? What about your project? And shouldn't you be in bed? You have school in the morning." Even though Ryo's heart was pounding at his son's entrance, the kid was a blessing. Just knowing he was home made the blonde feel ten times better.

Bikky honored him with a shrug, looking away almost guiltily towards the rest of the room. "We finished early, so I came home. And I couldn't sleep because I was hungry," he lied, deciding not to mention the car he had seen. It probably was a girl and that would _definitely_ show Dee, but… he had to make sure.

"Oh…" Ryo sighed again, unable to keep up his parental resolve and crumbled to the kid almost pathetically. Too much had gone on this evening and he was just too tired to scold Bikky for being awake- and he did get his project done. "Well, I was going to make myself a snack…" he mused, wandering towards the kitchen as he thought about what he could make for them both, forcing the kiss to the back of his mind. "Get the cheese out of the refrigerator and I'll make grilled cheese sandwiches." This decision was met with an excited 'yes!' and Ryo smiled a little as he heard Bikky mumble something about how awesome he was sometimes. He could worry about what had happened tomorrow.

And thus, Bikky effectively forgot all about the car and its driver for the time being.


	3. Chapter 3: White Lies and Hidden Vodka

**Midnight at the Precinct**

_Chapter 3: White Lies and Hidden Vodka_

Dee tossed his file onto the desk before flopping into his chair with a groan. Today was one of those days where he was glad to be working away from the office, but unsatisfied at the results of doing so. It was a win-lose sort of situation, so to speak, although now it was leaning more on the lose-lose side. Yeah, the more that he thought about it, the more frustrated he felt.

Several hours ago, Dee had gotten a call from the homicide unit and he, along with a couple of the other detectives from the precinct, headed over to the crime scene, grateful for the bit of fresh air. Unfortunately, it wasn't fresh air that greeted him when he reached the venue, but instead the stale scent of death. Everyone had claimed it a murder, despite the suicide note and the lack of evidence proving otherwise, but Dee had his own opinions of what had happened. Opinions that others didn't want to listen to.

The dark-haired detective kicked his feet up onto the desk, narrowly missing the day's paperwork. What was so hard to believe that it was a suicide? Sure the vic seemed to be living a good life. He had a fiancé, a good job, and a pretty sweet place to live. He'd heard of people pulling the trigger under even cushier circumstances. Sometimes people just cracked and it was obvious that this guy did as well.

So why wasn't it obvious to everyone else?

With a sigh, he reached into his pocket and retrieved his cell. Today was Ryo's day off, and even though he was still technically on-call, he hadn't been called in on the case. Part of Dee was pleased that the HD felt confident enough with his abilities, but another part wished they had sent for Ryo as well. At least his partner might have agreed with his assessment since no one else did.

Dee dialed Ryo's number and pressed his cell to his ear, still leaned back in his chair as he waited for the other to answer.

Ryo was reading when he heard his cell go off. Surprisingly, the phone wasn't next to him and he had to hurry through the small apartment to where it was charging in the kitchen. To keep his mind off things- specifically the kiss from the previous night- Ryo had decided to lie back today, which ultimately meant getting some things done around the house. The living room was clean, his room had been organized, the kitchen was spotless, and he had a stew in the slow cooker for later. The pleasant scent of cooking beef tenderloin and carrots floated lazily throughout his apartment and Ryo took a long sniff before answering the phone.

"Randy Maclean," he said as the connection clicked through, not bothering to look at the caller id.

Dee blinked. "What? You too busy to look at the screen to see whose calling?" he drawled, sounding a bit more severe than he had meant to. Of course, being in an already foul mood didn't help things. The aloof, professional tone in his partner's voice was not something he had expected to hear, especially not when he needed the other's comradery.

"Dee?" Ryo wasn't surprised his partner was the one on the other end of the phone. "Sorry, I didn't think about it. It was on the last ring anyway." He flopped back down on the couch and glanced longingly at the book that sat open, facedown, next to him. "What's up? Am I needed at the precinct?" Ryo couldn't think of any other reason Dee would be calling, other than to waste time...

"No," Dee immediately replied and then let out a soft groan of frustration. "Yes and no, but mostly no."

It wasn't just his bias against Ryo's workaholic attitude that caused him to respond the way he did, but also because he was sure that he could solve the case without his partner's help. Hell, he figured he already had it solved if more people would just listen to him.

Ryo quirked one eyebrow at his ceiling, but didn't move from the couch. No matter how much he loved his work, the blonde detective just didn't want to walk into the precinct today. Not after last night... He would cross that bridge when he got to it, but he certainly wouldn't come running.

"Then what do you need?" Ryo sighed, rubbing at his temples, almost snapping at his partner. Even though Dee couldn't see, an apologetic expression melted onto his face a second after his tone reached his own ears. His hand came down to cover his eyes, curtaining his vision in semi-darkness. Dee hadn't done anything to deserve his frustration... at least not yet, anyway. "Sorry," he added before the brunette had a chance to retort. "I've had a lot on my mind. I didn't mean to sound..." he trailed off, unable to come up with a decent apology.

Dee was going to just tell Ryo that it was alright and continue on with why he had called, but he paused. It wasn't often that he could tell when something was bothering the blonde. Generally, whatever it was, it was work-related or something he himself did to upset Ryo. Considering he hadn't done anything today- or, at least, nothing that he knew of anyway-, and Ryo wasn't at the precinct, Dee was a little more than curious of his partner's attitude.

"Is something wrong?" he asked with honest concern, his original reason for calling momentarily pushed aside.

''Wrong?'' Ryo frowned slightly. Was it that obvious? ''Ah, no. I'm really just tired. I just finished cleaning the apartment. I guess it's more obvious than I thought,'' he half-lied. No way was he going to tell Dee about the kiss... but damn, he was good at guessing his mood.

''What did you need, Dee?'' he prompted again, a touch of irritation mingling with his question. Hopefully the change of topic would get his nosey partner back on track... and get Ryo off the hook for now.

Dee hummed at Ryo's response, not really sure whether to believe him, but he didn't push it. Maybe he'd confront him on it tomorrow, if the blonde was still acting odd.

"Well," he began with a somewhat disgruntled sigh. "I was called in for an inspection a couple hours ago for what was believed to be a murder case and, after looking at all the evidence and checking out the suspects, it just seemed too much like a suicide. But it's like I'm the only one to see it for that. Everyone thinks it's, hands-down, a homicide."

A sense of relief flooded Ryo's mind as his partner allowed him to change the subject. Dee was sharp... childish, but sharp. And sometimes, Ryo swore the other male could see through any lie he could ever hope to spew at him. It didn't help anything that he was a horrible liar, but... that wasn't the point.

Ryo grew silent for a minute, frowning a bit at all the holes Dee had left in his explanation. His eyes studied the ceiling once again as if it could offer him some insight as to what Dee was talking about. "You'll need to be more specific, Dee," he chided, sighing slightly as he slumped forward on the couch. He shifted the phone to his other ear, tried to find a more comfortable position, failed, and opted instead for lying on his back lengthwise on the couch. "What kind of evidence is there? Who found the body? Details, man. You can't just call for advice and then give me the nutshell version."

Regardless, Ryo knew Dee's intuition was usually pretty spot-on... However, he would never outwardly admit to it. Telling Dee he was good at something he already thought he was good at would inflate his head to the size of Manhattan... and he was already too much to deal with as it was.

"I was getting to that," Dee bickered back.

He glanced at the file on his desk and frowned. Ryo was going to be on his case tomorrow- both figuratively and literally- over how sloppy it looked. Maybe he should try to fix it, if he had the time before he left. He could always take it home and work on it there, but that idea left a less than pleasant feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Anyway," he began, taking his attention off the pile in front of him, "the vic was found earlier this afternoon with a hole blasted in the side of his head. His employers had been trying to get in touch with him for the past couple days. The only contact listed in his records was his girlfriend, now ex-girlfriend, who had agreed to go check on him. Apparently she still had the key to his place, even though they had split up almost six months ago.

"We checked out the video from security to see if maybe she had popped in within the past week and now, but the only persons who had entered the apartment were the vic himself, his current girlfriend, his ex, and his housekeeper. So far, the girlfriends seem clean, but we're having difficulties tracking the housekeeper. The video actually showed the housekeeper and the vic in the apartment at the same time, but from what forensics said, there was no way she could have been there at his time of death-"

Ryo nodded as he listened to the explanation. He could see how Dee would assess a suicide, especially since the two main suspects were cleared. The housekeeper though...

Dee paused to clear his throat, but when it did nothing to help, he decided on an alternative. "Hang on, I need to get some water," he muttered into his cell, removing himself from his chair and heading toward the water cooler.

"So the housekeeper hasn't been able to be reached? I've never seen a case with the cleaning lady as the perp... but until you can contact her, you can't rule anything out." He mused, pausing as he heard the click of Dee's boots on the tile floor. This brought a smile to his face, thinking about the 'high-heels' his partner was never far from, and rested his free arm comfortably over his forehead.

"Well, I mean," Dee replied, pressing the cell to his ear with his shoulder as he poured himself a glass, "I've seen crime shows and movies where the housekeeper was the suspect or the actual perp, so it's not like it's completely out of the question."

Ryo closed his eyes, the white plaster of the ceiling vanishing behind his eyelids, as he pondered over what Dee had related. He chose to ignore the bit about Dee's taste in television, somewhat because he was told to never use it as reference to a case, but mostly because he watched it too. "Have swabs been sent to the lab? What about the body? Was it released to the city morgue or is it still in custody?"

Walking back to his desk, he waited for Ryo to reply. Part of him wondered if the blonde would object to his statement about the crime shows, but he didn't. Dee knew that they were, of course, works of fiction, but working with the force for as long as he had, he also knew that with that particular genre, a good bit of the plot was based on previous events and things that could actually happen. There'd been a couple times when he caught an episode of Magnum P.I. or Law and Order and had related the crime to something he had covered. And he was pretty sure he wasn't the only member of law enforcement who had done the same.

"Yeah, swabs were sent to Nick. They're still working on it last I heard. No evidence of prints other than the vic's. The body's still in custody until we can figure out who the 'real murderer' is," Dee added, recognizing that he sounded rather sardonic at the end. _And with good reason_, he mentally backed himself up.

"Was there anything else? It could have been a pro job. In and out without being seen by the cameras." Ryo didn't actually think a hit would be put out for a 'nobody' like Dee was describing, but it was worth a try. Then again, his parents fell into that 'nobody' category…

Dee glanced at his cell, noticing the pause and Ryo's attempt to keep himself and his affection for work at bay. Despite being much more laid-back about his job, he understood his partner's impatience at getting as much info as possible. The more known about a case, the easier it was to solve it- in theory, anyway.

He frowned again. _Damn, _Dee thought_, now I really wish Ryo was here. It's so much more… _He couldn't figure out how to describe the feeling he felt when he and the blonde worked together. With Ryo there, it was much more… fulfilling or fun. He debated on those words, but immediately scratched them out, neither of them holding the exact emotion that he felt when he thought about it.

"Not really," he replied, sitting back at his desk and downing half of his cup, a satisfied sigh flitting past his lips. "There's no way anyone could get inside the apartment without being seen on the camera and there was no tampering with the video files. And the place just looked… too clean. The cameras showed the cleaning lady entering and leaving less than twenty-four hours before the proclaimed time of death. Granted, it's the only clue we have to the vic's demise, but…"

Dee stared off, determination settling into his verdant eyes. "You gotta trust me on this one. The guy just up and offed himself. These guys are over-complicating the whole thing."

Ryo listened to Dee elaborate, silently pondering over the new information. It certainly sounded like a suicide to him. So then why was everyone making a big deal about it? He could understand why no one would be listening to Dee. Hell, even he liked to ignore the younger detective most of the time when he wasn't making sense... but still, he had some good points when it came to what he was talking about for this one.

"Okay, I can see a suicide closing the case..." he mused aloud, shifting slightly into a more comfortable position yet again, switching his cell back to the other ear, "but if that's it, then why is everyone so sure it's a homicide? Of course things are going to be clean if the guy has a cleaning lady. That's never been an issue before, especially if no evidence of foul play could be found on the premises. Why is it being treated as a murder? Are you sure you don't need me at the o-office?" he asked, instantly regretting it and accidentally stumbling off the last word. Talking about work had made Ryo completely forget the previous night and now a churning began in his stomach at the concept of facing Berkeley right then. He had felt the same way the night after Dee had first kissed him... but since he wasn't so lucky to have been off the next day, he had to make do with ignoring him. Berkeley on the other hand... he couldn't ignore... what with him being the top shot in the office and all.

_Damnit... Tell me I don't have to be there, Dee..._ he thought to himself, keeping his eyes closed and hoping his partner would tell him to stay home.

Dee heard the sudden drop in Ryo's tone and was all too aware of the uneasy silence that followed the question. He was practically doing a double-take at the cell before his mind caught up with his body's reaction. There was definitely something going on, Dee's mind screamed at him. There were no two doubts about it.

"Ryo, are you trying to hide something from me?" he blurted out, worried and irritated all at the same time. "I know you said you were busy at home or whatever, but it's not like you to not be all happy about coming to work. I know you and I know something ain't right!"

"I'm fine," Ryo responded immediately, knowing all too well that Dee's suspicion would instantly skyrocket with his sharp tone. _Why are you so damn good at reading my moods? I know I'm a crappy liar, but come on!_ The blonde sighed a bit, trying to slump deeper into the couch.

"Really. I just... have a headache. It's not that I don't want to come to work... I guess I just..." He thought about it for a second. "I just don't want to have to deal with JJ's screaming- he's there today, right?- and the Chief yelling at you guys would just make my headache worse," he half-lied, thinking he had made a pretty decent point. "And besides," he tried to force change the topic, "it seems like you've got this case covered. Just try not to solve it by the time I get in tomorrow, okay?"

Listening with a tight-lipped frown to the other detective's excuses, he grew even more wary. What if Ryo was telling the truth and he did have a headache? Or what if he wasn't and something significant was actually bothering him? Even more yelling would only make him more agitated, headache or not, and Dee didn't feel like being hung up on or ignored at work the following day.

So he simply hummed once more in response, this time sounding even less convinced. The change in topic immediately shifted his attention to the cluttered stack of papers on his desk, the once stubborn frown on his face shifting to a guilty grimace. Yeah, he definitely needed to fix his reports soon, but not right now. Not while he had Ryo on the phone, anyway.

"Oh yeah, you'd be so jealous if I closed the case without your help," Dee replied sardonically. He pulled his feet off of his desk and starting going through the casework with a slightly disgruntled expression, knowing he had his work cut out for him if he wanted something presentable to give to his partner tomorrow.

Again Ryo was relieved at the change of topic. Obviously Dee didn't believe him... but he wasn't pushing it, which was good... Of course, he'd have to come up with some elaborate story by the time Dee got off work, just in case his nosy partner decided to come do some 'investigative work' into his personal life.

"I'd be crushed," he answered back, his own tone shifting to one of a lighter note. He rolled onto his side, his free hand draping lazily off the side of the couch as he closed his eyes. A small smile played on his lips as he imagined Dee glaring angrily down at his surely cluttered desk. "So be sure to leave me the scraps, okay... _partner_?" he added, hoping the emphasis on Dee's title would dissuade him from pursuing his previous line of interest. Even so, without Ryo realizing it, a small twinge of red began seeping across just the tips of his cheeks and nose. All the times Dee had caught, jumped, and kissed him... the most recent kiss from the commissioner...

He really needed to work on fixing that non-existent guard of his...

"Oh, I'll leave you something alright," Dee replied mockingly, although the threat was an empty one. Well, almost empty. He could easily leave Ryo with more than enough work to both sate and irritate the blonde- he'd done it on plenty of occasions before-, but, for the sake of his own dignity, he'd at least make the reports presentable.

He had a point to prove after all, so they needed to be legible and detailed enough to both state and clear his case.

"So tell me," Dee started, changing the topic as well as he rifled through his desk drawer for a pen, "you enjoying your day off?"

_Not a helping subject matter..._ Ryo cursed the continuing memory. "Sure, if you think cleaning is something enjoyable," he sighed as he once again placed a hand over his eyes. The slight rustling of Dee's search helped center him, as well as calm the tightness that kept trying to push into his consciousness. How many times _had_ Dee kissed him already? Not to mention the girls he had gone out with before coming here.

It was just a kiss.

The thought struck him with the realization that it was, indeed, just a kiss. It wasn't something to be so concerned about, something to stress and worry over like he had been doing. Berkeley had made it perfectly clear that he was interested, but so had Dee... and he had never obsessed this much over his partner. For the first time since waking up, Ryo felt like his old self.

"You know what, don't even comment on that. Since you live in a pigsty, I bet cleaning is the same as punishment for you," he joked, grinning into his own words.

"So what if my place is a mess? At least I know where everything is," Dee joked back, his irritation dissolving at his partner's relaxed tone. The younger detective cracked a grin as well and set the several papers he was holding back down on the desk.

This is what he really needed. Ryo's pleasant, teasing voice over the phone did more than just calm his nerves. It really didn't matter whether or not they talked about the case. At least, not right now it didn't. Casting one last glance down at his work, he leaned back in his chair. He'd get back to the case soon enough.

"Bull." The first thing Ryo knew about Dee is that if his own head wasn't attached to his body, he would misplace it under a pile of rubbish. "I bet you still can't find that shoe you lost two months ago."

Ryo opened his eyes at the soft squeak of Dee's old chair reclining and the smile that had formed was quickly replaced with a frown. "Now you're just wasting time, Dee. If someone catches you on your cell, you're a dead man."

"Er, well-" Dee began but was interrupted by Ryo's sudden accusation. He winced slightly, jerking the cell a couple inches from his ear for a second before pulling it back almost apprehensively.

It wasn't the idea of being caught by any of the higher-ups that had set him off. He wasn't worried about that at all. It was the fact that Ryo had actually caught him over the phone. Geez, when had the guy managed to learn his mannerisms so well, and by sound alone at that?

"Pfft. Like I give a rat's ass," he replied with a smirk. "Neither Chief or the commissioner are here, so I can do whatever I want."

Ryo's eye twitched under the hand covering them, and he mentally groaned at the lack of discipline his partner exhibited on a daily basis.

"It doesn't matter if neither of them are there, you shouldn't-"

The sentence stopped short as what Dee had said finally sunk in. Ryo sat up a little too quickly, his vision blurring for a second as he attempted to focus on the clock. His eyebrows furrowed together and his chest constricted. It was a little before four pm and he had been positive Berkeley's name was on the schedule for the afternoon and evening shifts today. Not once since the commissioner had transferred to their precinct had he been late or absent for work, regardless of how much Dee prayed. In fact, the older blond was almost always early.

A knot formed in his stomach as he slumped back against the couch, the attempt failing to release the pressure in his suddenly taunt shoulders. It took a second for Ryo to swallow the bulk of his surprise and sound relatively normal. Or at least as normal as he could muster, what with the circumstances.

"Berk-Commissioner Rose isn't there? Isn't he on the schedule?" Immediately Ryo mentally kicked himself for sounding so desperate. Didn't he JUST get finished telling himself that there was nothing to worry about? Didn't he JUST have this conversation with himself? That stress-free feeling from earlier felt like a far away dream, and he had to switch the phone to his other ear and rub at his neck before it got too tight. "I mean, really? Chief left you guys in charge of the precinct? Does he honestly think you're actually going to do something productive without a chaperon present?"

Another kick followed his follow-up question. This was nearing pathetic... Sure, he had been a mess the first time Dee had kissed him, but it didn't feel this... this... stressful. Ryo leaned his head back, staring upside down at the kitchen cabinet were Dee had attempted to 'hide' a bottle of cheap vodka. He didn't drink, but damn did it sound good right about now...

When Ryo cut off, Dee had originally thought that maybe the call had dropped. The silence was so sudden that it surprised him. Blinking, he pulled his cell away from his ear to see if the call was still connected. It was, but when he brought it back to his ear and opened his mouth to say the other's name, he was immediately bombarded with Ryo's apprehensive questioning.

His eyebrows shot up at the tone of his partner's voice. Why would Ryo be so disturbed with the commissioner's whereabouts? He rarely heard Ryo sound so alarmed- well, not in the way he was sounding now anyway. The only times the blonde did seem uneasy, when it concerned people anyway, was when it came to those around him whom he had some personal connection to, and even then it wasn't that often.

So why was he suddenly worried over-

Then it hit him. Or rather, an idea hit him.

Dee scowled slightly as he glanced at his partner's desk then swiveled in his chair to look in the direction of the commissioner's office. He hadn't even looked at the schedule that day to see if Commissioner Rose would be there, and to be honest, he hadn't even cared to. It wasn't something he kept up with anyway, considering he didn't care one lick about the bastard. And for Ryo to be so… wound up over him…

"Why are you so worried over the commissioner?" he asked, trying his best not to sound as irritated as he felt. "It's not like you ever cared whether he was here or not before."

Ryo winced, Dee's accusingly calm tone cutting straight to his budding headache. Terrific… This was just terrific. He really did not want to be having this conversation right now and especially not with Dee. With a sigh, he rose from the couch and made his way into the kitchen. Sure, it wasn't five yet, but that didn't mean he couldn't drink in the comfort of his own home.

"No, Dee, it's not…" He stopped himself from digging an even bigger hole for himself and concentrated on getting a glass from the cabinet. It clinked against a few of the other crystal cups he had, despite his trying to be careful. "I'm not worried over him. I'm just… you know, if you didn't show up for work when you were supposed to, I'd go looking for you, ya know?" he placed the glass on the countertop and made a face. That was the worst possible thing he could have said. _Ever_.

Where the hell did Dee put that bottle of alcohol…?

"Look," he tried again, his voice sounding steadier than he felt. "I'm just saying that he's never missed a day before, and even though he was pretty tired last night, I didn't think he wouldn't show up-"

"Wait." Dee's voice dropped an octave and, for the moment, was much calmer as he spoke now. "How would you know he was tired? We both left work around six last night and the commissioner wasn't even there at that time, so how in the hell-"

He paused, realization dawning across his features before melting into fury.

"You went back to the precinct afterward! Why? More 'relaxing time'?" Dee all but yelled into the receiver.

Several of the other detectives in the room stared at him from their respective desks, wondering what in the world could have set him off this time, but the brunette didn't notice nor care about how loud he was getting.

Ryo yanked the phone away from his ear as Dee screamed, knocking over a good number of the spices in the cabinet he was looking through. Thankfully, the mostly full bottle of vodka winked back at him from behind the toppled containers and he yanked it out.

"Hey! Look, I went back to the precinct to make sure we had gotten caught up with everything! For some reason, I thought we were still missing one or two files from the day that someone didn't finish. We had nothing, so I was going to just head home when he came out into the office. It's not like I was looking for him or anything! I didn't even think he'd be there that late!" he interjected, feeling his heart pound in his chest. Damnit, damnit, damnit! He just HAD to open his mouth and let tumble the fact he had seen Berkeley last night… No matter the fact that he had hoped to meet the older detective at the station and he hadn't really planned on leaving when he realized they were finished with their work…

Hopefully Drake didn't say anything to Dee about the file he had started for him…

"Yeah, uh huh, and then what happened?" Dee immediately replied, glowering at his desk with such a heated glare that it was a wonder the papers in front of him didn't catch fire. "That fucker better not have-"

He immediately cut himself off, grinding his teeth together as various scenes played through his mind and none of them were pretty. Jealousy and rage swirled like a violent storm inside the younger detective's chest. He just knew something had gone on the previous night! Ryo wouldn't be acting this way if it hadn't, he told himself, and at this point, there was no convincing himself otherwise.

"What are you talking about, Dee?" A slosh of vodka spilled onto the counter as his hands shook. Ryo was never very good at hiding how he felt… especially not about something like this.

It was just a kiss. Just remember, Ryo, it was _just_ a kiss.

"Berkeley didn't do anything other than drive me home, since I had walked back to the office. We talked, worked, then went home. That's it!" he half pleaded, partly trying to convince himself of his lie. Well, not really lie… just… omission…

"Then why?" Dee demanded, desperation creeping into his voice before he even realized it. His free hand slapped itself onto his desk, fingers curling just slightly and threatening to wrinkle the papers underneath them. "Why do you sound like something _happened_?"

He knew he sounded crazy. But he also knew Ryo was hiding _something_ from him, so he couldn't help it. A twinge of embarrassment actually managed to wedge itself in the mess of emotions and for a second he debated apologizing for being pissed and blaming his partner for something he hadn't even admitted doing, but the instant the thought crossed his mind, he became even more irate with himself.

"You know what? _Nevermind_!"

He jammed his thumb against the end call button and threw the phone against the desk, momentum causing it to bounce off the hard surface and clatter onto the floor. With a loud huff, he threw his arms across his chest and leaned back in his seat. Several seconds passed as he sat there, steaming and scowling in the general direction of the where he figured the phone landed, before he finally felt the eyes of nearly everyone in the room on him.

"_What are you all lookin' at_?" he roared at the crowd, which was sufficient enough to send them back to their work.

Dee continued to fume and glare and fume some more. The more he thought about Ryo, the more irritated he grew. One of his co-workers passed by his desk, avoiding all eye contact and carefully stepping over the more than abused cell phone. If it wasn't a female, Dee would have probably growled at the person intruding his space. He at least had that little bit of manners.

But then something occurred to him, something that he didn't realize before because he was concentrating on his accusations and just being generally pissed.

Ryo had called the commissioner by his first name.

Ryo NEVER called anyone in the higher chain of command by their first name.

Even further enraged, Dee shot from his seat, thrust his reports into the crook of his arm, and snatched his cell from the floor. He hit redial and immediately stormed out of the office with a look of enraged determination that made everyone in a five foot radius slither even further away from him.

Ryo stared blankly at the drink in front of him, the hard sound of the call-dropped tone in his ear throbbing in tune to his headache. In much the same manner as Dee, the blonde chucked the phone into the other room and cleaned up the mess he had made with his drink. It wasn't long before he guiltily retrieved his cell and slumped back on the couch, his drink threatening to spill on his furniture.

_This isn't good…._ he thought to himself as he rubbed his temples, the currently untouched glass of vodka sitting harmlessly on the coffee table before him. Ryo drooped in on himself, burying his face in his still slightly shaking hands as he tried to calm the swell of emotions he could feel bubbling within him. "This isn't good…" he repeated aloud, finally taking a drink of the bitter alcohol. Instantly he regretted it, remembering why he didn't drink hard liquor in the first place. It tasted horrible…

But the sip got his hands to stop shaking… so he took another, larger gulp before setting it back down in front of him. Dee was pissed, and no matter which way he looked at it, he certainly deserved to be. Not only had he been lied to, but it concerned- of all people- Berkeley.

There was no one Dee hated more than their commissioner and it all started that night back in England. Ryo couldn't blame him… It was no secret how the older male thought of him, and he had made that perfectly clear again last night… But what about his own feelings…? How did Ryo think of Berkeley…? And while he's on the subject, how did he feel about Dee?

Ryo knew the phone was going to ring before it did, the electricity in the air signaling the incoming call. Geez, he must really be strung to his breaking point…

"What?" he growled into the receiver, again not bothering to look at the caller id. Ryo took another drink and then glared at the glass. He really was picking up Dee's bad habits and the bitter drink complimented the bad aftertaste of his thoughts.

Dee had made it out of the precinct and to the squad car both he and Ryo were assigned to without anyone trying to hassle him over leaving early, which was a good thing because he would have given whoever stopped him hell over it. His mind was set and nothing could possibly change it. And heaven help any poor souls, NYPD or otherwise, if they tried to stop him…

"I'm coming over and you better fucking be there!" Dee barked into the phone before immediately hanging up on his partner once more.


	4. Chapter 4: Rain Check Redeemed

**A/N:** So I bet none of you realized I didn't add an a/n last chapter... I should have, though, considering I kinda vanished for a week with no updates. Sorry! Here is chapter 4. I got chapter 5 back from my editor already, so I'll be trying to get that one out later tonight or tomorrow.

Chapter dedicated to my two reviewers! Jollyolly and FortunateM! Reviews keep our spirits up here in the Sunny State of Satan's Ass, or America's Penis if you prefer, so please review if you like the story!

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><p><strong><span>Midnight at the Precinct<span>**

_Chapter 4: Rain Check Redeemed_

A week had passed since they had started investigation of the suicide case, which, much to Dee's satisfaction, was now finally accepted throughout the precinct as such. Granted, there was only so much legwork they could do, considering the lack of evidence and witnesses, but it still managed to keep them fairly busy. It wasn't until the following day that they were able to contact and bring in the housekeeper for questioning. Apparently, her cell phone had died, but she was able to provide an alibi as to where she was during the declared time of death. In fact, all the possibly suspects' alibis checked out, which didn't surprise Dee, considering.

There was only the matter of releasing the body to the morgue and the last bit of paperwork for the two detectives to work on. It was certainly an irritating case for the brunette, despite its briefness. Of course, it wasn't the case itself that made it irritating.

Dee glared across their conjoined desks at his partner, who was too busy rifling through the reports for a specific piece of paperwork. Ever since he had called the blonde in an effort to plead his case, as well as possibly boost his ego, the two detectives had been at a nearly constant standoff over not only Dee's outrage on the phone, but also his extremely poor attempt at filling out his report on the venue. He hadn't given it any thought when he had taken the file with him to Ryo's, but the blonde had given him hell over his 'shitty job'. All mention of the commissioner ceased once Ryo saw it, but the tension behind the original argument remained throughout the week.

Well, most of anxiety had faded, but there was still the occasional griping and jeering every so often. Even if Ryo still denied that anything had happened when in the company of Commissioner Rose, Dee refused to believe him. He had even confronted the commissioner himself, who refused to talk to the younger detective, claiming he had no idea what Dee was nagging him about. That only made Dee more irritable, which in turn made Ryo more irritable.

Long story short, the past week was annoying as hell.

_Fucking bastard, _Dee mentally cursed a second before- speak of the Devil- the man himself passed through the room. He made a quiet, angry sound in the back of his throat as he watched the commissioner head into his office. The scowl that had pretty much ingrained itself onto his face over the past week deepening with the sound he made.

Ryo glanced up, looking at Dee over the rim of his reading glasses and could barely accept what he was hearing. Was Dee… _growling_? His eyes followed his partner's head and he caught the last swish of Berkeley's coat as he walked into his office. _Seriously…?_ Ryo thought to himself and then smiled slightly as he found the folder the piece of information was in that he was looking for.

Dee had been acting like a two year old all week and would not stop bugging him about what had happened that night. In fact, Ryo had denied anything had happened enough to actually believe it himself. Of course, he wouldn't be able to pass a poly… but hopefully, his scatterbrained partner wouldn't think of stealing one from the interrogation room.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the file and slammed it down on Dee's desk, meaning to startle his inner animal to silence. "Please don't tell me you're going to start marking your territory, Dee." Ryo leaned back in his chair, stretching a kink out of his shoulder and sighing contently with the resounding pop. "Because if you are, give me some kind of warning so I can have the indecent exposure form ready," he added as he rubbed at his sore eyes, the glasses moving further up his nose as he hadn't bothered to remove them first.

"Or a hazmat suit," Dee muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching into a slight smirk for the briefest of seconds before drooping back one more. Ryo had managed to startle him, and, after a verbal complaint, he sat there breathing deeply while his heart rattled about in his ribcage. Not that his heart hadn't been doing all sorts of crazy things over the past week anyway…

"You find the file?" he asked absentmindedly, turning back toward his partner and lifting a leg to prop it up on the corner of the desk.

Ryo reached out and pushed the offending foot off the desk before Dee could get comfortable then grabbed one of his many pens that had seemingly materialized onto Dee's side of their conjoined workspace.

"Yeah," he said simply, adjusting his glasses and then pointed at the manila folder sitting in front of the brunette. "There's the autopsy report and I'm pretty sure Nick's forensic report is in there too." They were wrapping up the case and Ryo had flat out refused to do all the work, considering he had to spend all night last week fixing Dee's horrible excuse for a report.

With an audible sigh, Dee picked up the file. It was his "turn" to go through the reports and make sure everything was filled out correctly. Normally it was something Ryo did, not just because of his perfectionist nature when it came to his job, but also because he didn't trust Dee to do it himself; however, on their current case, Dee had more than his fair share of paperwork to do. Ryo had already stated that he wasn't in the mood to deal with his partner's usual- and recently unusual- antics.

Ten minutes or so passed before Dee started feeling antsy. He glanced up at Ryo, who was too busy to notice his partner's green eyes peering over at him. With another sigh, this one almost inaudible, he turned back to his own work. Crowds of words and signatures stared up at him, slowly making less and less sense as he stared back.

He needed a cigarette.

"I need a smoke," Dee said, voicing his thoughts as he rose from his desk. He didn't even bother looking at his partner as he left, brushing his hair from his face and looking reasonably more relaxed as he walked away.

The reports were in order, and Ryo had been busying himself with looking through the call log to see if he could turn up any new cases for them to take. Unlike Dee, Ryo enjoyed being busy. He looked up when Dee spoke, but was only met with the turning of his partner's head as he walked away. His eyebrows scrunched together somewhat and a short pang pierced his heart. He swallowed it away and waved slightly as he looked back down, knowing Dee wasn't going to turn back towards him.

It wasn't until he heard the door to their unit close that he leaned back in his chair and rubbed at his eyes. A dull pain soured his heart, but returning to his work only caused the pain to migrate to his temples. He hated arguing with Dee and not just because his partner pulled childish antics to get his way. It was... Well, he didn't really know why, but he hated it. It always made him feel like the bad guy when he fought with the younger brunette.

With a sigh of his own, Ryo rested his chin on his hand and gazed blankly at Dee's messy desk. With slight irritation he realized the file was only on the second page. He thought about getting up and dragging the lazy detective back into the building to finish going over the report, make him do the thirty minute job in twenty, but that would have included the ten he spent on the first two pages. Another grumble accompanied the refusal of that idea; instead, just took the offending file and placed it back on his own desk. Maybe if he just finished the case up, Dee would quit being so angry. He couldn't even understand why he was so enraged, it was just-...

Ryo's lips tingled as the memory returned, unbidden, into his mind.

No, he had to stop thinking about this! Dee was right. He really worried about things way too much... He thunked the pen against his own head in an attempt to get himself back on track. Looking at the file once more, he turned it to the fourth page, as he had already gone over the first three before handing it to Dee...

From his office, Berkeley was relieved to see that the younger of the two detectives finally decided to take a break. Well, it wasn't so much relief as it was gratification. For the past week, he had stayed in the shadows and kept himself busy with his own duties, not wanting to give Laytner any further reason to blow up on his undeserving partner. He had known even before Laytner had confronted him that he and Ryo had some sort of argument regarding himself. Then again, it wasn't as if the two detectives were keeping quiet over the whole ordeal. Well, Ryo was, and Berkeley was more than aware of the stress it was causing him.

But he had waited a week, which was longer than he had anticipated, and the two detectives were still clashing with one another, though thankfully not as loudly as before. It quite honestly put a huge damper on his plans. He had hoped that things would go more smoothly, that the younger detective wouldn't have been as perceptive or as presumptuous…

He could wait longer, but it would have been a lie to say he wasn't anxious. He didn't want to risk losing Ryo to time and a brat partner who couldn't keep his mouth shut.

Reentering the room, Berkeley wore his usual serious expression as he crossed the large office, mostly to ward off anyone who might interfere with his goal. It worked and he easily made his way to the older of the two's desk, the man himself too busy to notice his arrival, as per usual. He made a quick mental note that this was something he definitely needed to work on.

"Maclean, I need to see you in my office," he said aloud before he was even at Ryo's desk. He didn't want to risk wasting time and possibly Laytner returning before he was finished.

Ryo dropped the pencil he was using to make a note in the sidelines of one of the reports at the sound of Berkeley's voice. While it was obvious the older male would eventually need him for something, and though Ryo had been expecting it the first few days, he hadn't had time to prepare himself for the encounter. He looked up, his glasses just slightly askew on his nose from the jolt, and hunted for the source of his surprise. His eyes passed over Dee's empty chair and lingered there for a millisecond before finally finding and focusing on Berkeley's mundanely serious expression.

As always, there was a surprised look on the detective's face when he came upon him. Even though Berkeley enjoyed the dazed expression, he wondered just how long it would take for Ryo to become used to the sound of his voice. When would Ryo simply turn and… _smile_ at him?

Now was not the time for sentimentalities, not in front of the other's co-workers anyway. He needed privacy with Ryo and hopefully he could say what he wanted before a certain detective discovered his partner's whereabouts.

"Sure," Ryo said as he pushed back from his chair. "Is this about the case? We're finishing it up now. It should be filed within the hour," Ryo half-explained, feeling sheepish for the fact the report wasn't already completed. If he hadn't forced Dee to actually do his work, they would have had this case filed and closed yesterday. A sour grumbling brewed in the pit of his stomach as he realized this and he hoped that the commissioner wasn't summoning him for a warning.

Or was that just because he was going into Berkeley's office and Dee wasn't around to... to…

To what?

Ryo scrunched his eyebrows together faintly as he remembered his partner storming out of the precinct because of what had happened last week. He had already had this conversation with himself before; how many times had Dee kissed him? The young blonde didn't need to go through this entire speech to himself again, and instead just gathered up the notes for the case and stuffed them into the manila folder.

"That and something else. Come with me," Berkeley replied before turning and heading back toward his office. He didn't bother looking back, knowing Ryo was not far behind.

Holding the door for the other, Berkeley closed it behind him. He debated locking it at first, but then decided against it. He had already weighed the odds of Laytner barging into his office and decided that an unlocked door would raise fewer suspicions. He only hoped that he could say what he wanted before they were intruded upon.

His solemn expression faded, turning into a slightly contrite one as he regarded the shorter male. "Before we get onto the topic of the case, I wanted to apologize for any stress I may have caused you over the past week," Berkeley told him without a hint of hesitancy. He didn't often apologize, but he was certainly man enough to acknowledge any wrongdoings he may have committed. He didn't want Ryo to think he was completely heartless.

Having been the first one in, Ryo settled the paperwork atop Berkeley's desk before turning back to face him. "Oh, uhm…" he started, his eyes flittering towards the bookshelf for a second before he forced himself back on track. "It's not a problem, sir. The case has been pretty stressful, so there's no reason for you to apologize." A sheepish smile settled over his features as he continued. "I'm glad it's over though. Dee was right all along—it was a suicide."

Even though Ryo was slow to catch onto things, he knew what Berkeley was talking about. Not like it had been on his mind for the entire week, considering Dee wouldn't let up about it. "As for the other thing…" he added before the older had a chance to fix him with that disapproving gaze he so often flashed at his friends. "Don't, uh, don't worry about it. Dee's kissed me ten times more, and if I got all bent out of shape over each one, I'd be one messed up detective," he joked, placing his fingers on the file he had brought in. Part of him didn't want to be having this conversation, especially not with Berkeley blocking the only exit to the office… but the other part...

Ryo didn't know what that other part was doing. His heart had sped up slightly and he could feel the hand atop the folder grow just barely clammy. _What am I doing…?_ he chastised himself, kicking his mind back on track.

The light in the commissioner's eyes faded at Ryo's "confession". He could feel the energy slowly draining from his body, numbness seeping downward toward his feet, which felt like anchors against the carpeted floor. Disbelief flooded his thoughts as he stared at the blonde with an indistinguishable expression, finally mustering the strength to turn away from him and gaze off into nothing in particular.

"I see," he replied after a moment, his voice taking on an almost injured tone.

As soon as he finished speaking, the numb sensation immediately dissipated as molten lava seemed to suddenly shoot through his veins. The wall that he was staring at came back into focus and he was battling the harsh scowl that threatened to take over his features. His fists were already clenched tightly, his knuckles white and his palms stinging slightly from the pressure.

_How… How could he…_

Jealousy flared throughout his being as Ryo's words reverberated inside his head. How could Ryo admit something like that so casually, without a shred of dignity or thought for his feelings… Did he even acknowledge his feelings? Was he really…

If he wasn't a man of his position and temperament, he would have sought out the other detective and slugged him. The thought of causing harm to Laytner only made him even more irate. He didn't want to reduce himself to the childish detective's standards. The two partners weren't an actual couple, or at least, not that he was aware of. He wasn't completely out of the running yet.

Berkeley shook his head slightly before turning back toward Ryo. Raw emotion glistened in his hazel eyes, even though he had managed- albeit just barely- to keep the rest of his hurt expression in check. He even managed to detach his fingernails from his reddened palms, which he immediately shoved into his pockets in an attempt at acting casual.

Opening his mouth to reply, he suddenly realized just how parched his throat was. He swallowed and cleared his throat quietly. "Well, I… You might want to consider how to respond next time. Saying something like that might hurt somebody's feelings," he said with a small, forced smile, trying to play off his own injured emotions.

Ryo's eyes widened as he realized what he had said and heat flushed his cheeks in a mad rush to display his embarrassment. He hadn't meant to say that- hell, he hadn't even really accepted Dee's feelings towards him yet. How could he have just flat out divulged such a falsity that… that it didn't make his world feel so… so upside down?

He took a step towards Berkeley, his heart running a marathon in his chest attempting to catch up with the feverish speed of his thoughts.

"I—" He coughed, unintentionally taking a second half-step forward. His fingers twitched towards the older man, but Ryo found he didn't have the strength to lift his arm. He battled excuses, each one sounding worse than the last.

"I'm… I mean, I've been… trying to get my mind off it because… it, well… uhm…" Ryo stuttered a bit, the blood remaining strong in his face as he glanced away, back towards the bookshelf. "It really… I've been thinking about it all week, and I've been… trying not to let it affect me as much as it did… I guess…" he finally wound up saying, half expecting the truth to sound like one of those lame excuses he hadn't been able to say.

Berkeley stiffened as Ryo inched closer toward him, his defenses on high from the rush of emotions that he was slowly corralling. He really wasn't certain what to expect, though the other's sudden flustering was certainly better than the other reactions that played out in his head. He really wasn't certain how to take the detective's ill-at-ease admission. Watching the blonde try to explain made him relax somewhat, and out of nowhere, the corner of his mouth crooked upward.

"Well," he began, running his fingers through his hair in an attempt to calm himself further, "at least you didn't try to punch me this time." Even though he was teasing, the commissioner sounded relieved and his smile spread even further.

Again Ryo looked off and this time backed up a step as the memory resurfaced. "Y-Yeah, uh… Sorry about that…" he muttered, looking back down at the folder he had brought in. After another second, he turned, the flush mostly dissipated as he seemed to remember where he was and what he was supposed to be doing.

"Is that, uh… Is that what you wanted to talk to me about…?" he asked, fingering once again the corner of his folder. Regardless of the kiss, from anyone for that matter, he was a workaholic at heart… and as such, if he was on the clock, especially with Dee's work to do, he would much rather be doing that than having a personal conversation. Unlike his partner, Ryo actually liked to stay pretty much on subject, when it concerned work, anyway…

"Actually," Berkeley began, taking a step toward Ryo. He pulled his other hand from his pocket and reached for the manila folder, nearly brushing his fingers against the other detective's as removed it from the desk. Holding the folder between them, it seemed as if the commissioner was going switch the conversation to the contents of the file.

But he didn't.

"I wanted to propose taking you to dinner once again."

Berkeley remembered the last time he had asked Ryo out, having been turned down for a reasonable excuse. It had been several months since then and, with the recent couple nights that they had spent together at the precinct, he had thought that now was as good a time as any to extend the offer once more.

He kept the file between them, suddenly being reminded of when Ryo's jealous partner had blocked him from what would have been his first kiss with the detective. Of course, he wasn't going to kiss him, not today anyway, and he was hoping that the "barrier" between them was a subtle enough hint for the blonde not to be concerned over it.

"Not tonight, of course," he added after Ryo didn't immediately respond." I actually have plans." Which wasn't a lie. "Not to mention I thought that you would most likely want to wait until your partner cooled down."

At first, Ryo was relieved that there would be a change of topic... but then that hope was brutally crushed as Berkeley spoke. He blinked, staring blankly at his superior as he was assaulted by his eyes above the folder. His mouth opened slightly, as if he was going to say something, but then suddenly realized he had no idea what to say. His eyes flittered to the door past where Berkeley stood, remembering Dee barging through the last time and saving him from having to answer.

He looked at the door for what felt like a minute, but was only a second or two. There was no knight in shining armor... or shining bullshit, anyway. No, the door remained closed, and Ryo found himself partly happy for that fact.

"Uhm..." Ryo started, cursing himself for using the filler-word so often today, and cleared his throat. "I guess that shouldn't be a problem... sir.." he tacked on the professional 'sir' at the end, a small part of himself trying to seed the idea that the dinner would be about a case or a business meeting... even though the rest of him knew he just agreed to a date. "What day did you have in mind...?" he added tentatively, his mind already trying to come up with what he would tell Dee...

Berkeley smiled at the other detective. It wasn't one of his usual haughty or forced smiles. In fact, one might even consider being handsome. In actuality, he was just happy that he wasn't shot down once again.

Not to mention Ryo was letting him choose the time for the date.

Was the blonde letting him do so because he had asked in the first place? Or perhaps Ryo suspected that he had looked over his schedule before asking him, he pondered guiltily. Granted, even though the idea of doing so poked and prodded at him for some time, the commissioner refused to pry into that information for his own personal gain. He was a much more respectable person than that.

"No particular day," he replied, lowering the folder to hold at his side. "But to be fair, how about your first available evening after the 23rd?"

Ryo thought about the date, his eyes taking on a faraway look as he mentally went through his schedule. His eyebrows furrowed together as he focused on the first evening shift he had off after the 23rd. In fact, it was the first evening he had off in over a week, unless it was one of his personal days.

"I work the morning shift on the 24th," he admitted, shifting slightly from one foot to the other as he did so, his gaze inadvertently following the path of his folder. "I don't have another evening until the 31st." Part of him wondered if Berkeley really had looked at his schedule, not that it would have been hard. It wasn't as if the shift times were confidential, but still…

"Then the evening of the 24th it is," Berkeley replied, the corner of his mouth quirking into a grin. _That was fairly easy_, he thought to himself. Convenient too. He hadn't expected that the detective would be off so soon.

Watching the dark eyes peer down at the report, Berkeley took the time to admire the blonde's visage. Ryo was truly such a handsome male. Perhaps the most handsome man he had the pleasure of knowing personally. The way his lashes fanned over his eyes, his slightly parted lips, how his hair fell just so… He was literally intoxicating to look at….

After finally tearing his focus from the folder, Ryo settled his eyes on the older detective before him and offered him a tentative smile. He had no idea what he had just done, and Dee…

Ryo's insides churned again with the nervous thoughts of his partner.

"So, uhm…" Damn that word again… "Was that all, or did you need to talk to me about the case…?" he tried again to switch the topic, hoping that this time it would work.

When Ryo finally returned his gaze, the other corner of his mouth arched up as well. _How predictable_, Berkeley thought to himself. _So work-obsessed_. He lifted the folder once more, giving it a momentary glance before handing it to the other male.

"Make sure this is filed before you leave work today," the commissioner replied in a lenient tone. "It's taken you two far too long to complete a simple suicide case."

Immediately, Ryo felt defensive over the report. Even though Dee had been the lead investigator, they were still partners; therefore he shared the responsibility of making sure the case was conducted and filed properly and effectively. Ryo had never before been privately reprimanded for a case, especially a case that wasn't even entirely his. Right after making personal plans, no less.

"Sir, I apologize for the delay," he answered as he took the folder. "With all due respect, the homicide department refused to let the case go, even after we presented all the necessary proof of a suicide." Ryo shifted a bit towards the door, instantly having switched back into 'work mode' and held Berkeley's piercing gaze easily as he explained the situation. "The case will be finished and filed tonight. I will personally make sure of it."

Another part of Ryo twisted slightly as he realized Berkeley had used the case to lure him, once again, into the privacy of his office for his own personal motives. _Damnit…_ he thought to himself as he took another step towards the door. _I really… really need to work on being more careful…_

"Was there anything else you needed, Commissioner?" he asked, being sure to add Berkeley's title, hoping that would give him some reason to continue on the road of work. Plus, if he left Berkeley's office with nothing to tell Dee, he would never hear the end of it-

There was a sound at the door. Immediately, Berkeley's eyes were drawn to it, waiting for the door to come crashing open and Ryo's irate, over-protective partner to come flying in.

But neither happened.

The door opened, perhaps a bit briskly, but still nowhere near as violently as he expected. After such a docile display, the commissioner was honestly surprised that it was Dee on the other side of the door and not one of the other officers with some dilemma too important to knock first. The detective looked calm, for the most part, the scowl that liked to make its way onto his face whenever he was in the same room as the commissioner already present. Green eyes stared across the room at Berkeley, and at first, the older man wondered if Dee had been eavesdropping on their conversation, but the thought was mostly banished when he realized that the younger detective wasn't giving him anything harsher than the usual glare.

Berkeley smiled slightly. "No, Maclean, I don't believe I do," he finally replied, shoving a hand inside his pants pocket. Perhaps he really didn't have anything to worry about. It didn't seem like anymore than your standard superior-worker conversation. "Just keep what I said in mind."

Dee turned toward his partner, his dark brows furrowed so deeply that the contrast of colors made his eyes seem even greener. Or maybe that was just the suspicion and irritation gleaming in those verdant orbs.

Ryo actually mirrored Dee with a much slighter glare in the commissioner's direction. Regardless of what was going on, work was work, and while after hours was fine, calling him in during the day for a private conversation wasn't exactly something that he enjoyed.

"Yes, sir."

Of course, his glare was more of the 'work is work' glare than anything else and his jet black eyes refused to relinquish the sheen of anticipation that had glazed them a few minutes prior to his partner's entrance.

"Come on, Dee," he said as he turned towards the door, intent on pushing his partner's impassible frame out into the hall if he didn't move. "We have to file this report by the end of the day," he concluded, not turning to look back at Berkeley as he left the office. Of course, this meant that the commissioner couldn't see the slight flush that tinted the younger blonde's cheeks.

Dee moved aside and let the blonde exit in front of him. He glanced back at the commissioner, who was giving him an even stare. He wasn't sure what to say. Hell, he wasn't even sure what had just happened other than Ryo seemed angry with Berkeley.

He decided that, in this particular instance, it was probably best not to say anything at all. In his partner's defense, as well as his own irritation, he narrowed his eyes at Berkeley, nearly making a face at him before turning and pulling the door shut.

Once they were in the hall and the door was properly closed, Ryo turned and thrust the file back into Dee's hands.

"I read up to page four. You only need to go over the last few pages, okay?" he said calmly, fixing Dee with one of his heated 'you'd better do your work' stares. "I'm going to get some coffee. Do you want any?"

Dee gripped the file, having almost fumbled in surprise at its sudden reappearance. He stared back at the blonde with the same intensity he had shown to Berkeley for a moment before backing down slightly with one of his "yeah, yeah, whatever" expressions. He couldn't really bring himself to be mad. Even though he was feeling this way from the lasting effects of the nicotine and Ryo's less than pleased stare at the commissioner, he knew that Ryo was right. He had been slacking off long enough.

"Yeah," he said finally before turning to head back to their station. At least Ryo was being civil enough to get him some coffee, Dee thought to himself somewhat light-heartedly. "You know how I like it."


	5. Chapter 5: Dinner Date

**A/N:** This chapter was a bit short... But the NEXT chapter will be SO LONG... Both me and the other writer/editor are dreading editing this next chapter, but I assure you! It will be worth it! I can't guarantee it will be out tomorrow, but we will try! Thank you for all your support! Merry Christmas!

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><p><strong><span>Midnight at the Precinct<span>**

_Chapter 5: Dinner Date_

Ryo stared at himself in the mirror and made a guilty face at his reflection. He hated lying to Dee, and while his partner had cooled down considerably over the past week, the fact that he hadn't told him what had happened in Berkeley's office refused to leave his mind. It ate at him and he found himself conflicted over the entire scenario. On one hand, he felt accountable for Dee being upset. On the other, he was happy to be doing something for himself without being scrutinized.

However, this meant that he seriously needed to consider his sexual orientation. A few months ago, he could have sworn up and down a wall that he was as straight as the next guy, but it seemed that the two guys standing next to him now were a little crooked.

With a sigh, Ryo picked up the navy blue tie that was hanging comfortably on the tie rack in his closet and easily tied a full Windsor knot into the eggshell colored shirt he wore under a casually grey suit.

The day after Commissioner Rose had called him into his office, the older man had left to take care of what Ryo could only assume was official business. He hadn't even said anything before leaving and it was only after he had left that Ryo had overheard Chief tell Margret at the front desk about his absence. Even when he had returned from his trip, work seemed to be the only thing on his mind.

This was a blessing and a curse for the young blonde. Without Berkeley hovering over them, Dee was able to stay pretty docile throughout the week. However, this left Ryo feeling as if the Commissioner had forgotten their engagement. It wasn't until earlier this morning when Berkeley had passed him a file he wanted reviewed with a note saying to dress semi-formal and be ready by six that night.

One last look at himself affirmed that he felt dressed properly and Ryo wandered into the living room of his apartment.

"Bikky," he said as he shut his bedroom door behind him and the boy looked up at him from his position on the couch. He had obviously just ripped his ear buds out of his ears, as they now poked sneakily from his pocket. A math notebook lay open on his lap, his textbook haphazardly sprawled with a pen next to him. Large blue eyes fixed themselves on him, and Ryo felt as if Bikky could see straight through him. It made him uncomfortable, as it always did, and he shifted uneasily towards the kitchen. "I'm going out tonight for-"

"Oh man, seriously?" Bikky stood up, interrupting Ryo mid-sentence and he suddenly had sparkles in those excited blue eyes. "Ryo, you HAVE to take me! We never go out to eat! Like, ever!" he bounded back onto the couch, kneeling on the cushions to look at Ryo over its back.

"No," Ryo said quickly, almost dropping the dish he had picked up from the drying rack.

"Aww! Come on, Ryo! No fair!" Bikky whined, half hanging over the back of the couch now; Ryo was instantly reminded of Dee complaining when he didn't get his way. Again he thought about how alike Bikky and Dee were, and smiled despite the awkward situation he found himself in.

Ryo shook his head for emphasis and placed the dish in one of the cabinets above the counter. "It's a business dinner, Bikky. Not only would you be bored, but it would be unprofessional of me to bring you," he explained, the excuse coming easily to him. He had thought about this for the past few hours, so he had been prepared. But even so, he couldn't look at the kid and face those eyes of his… Ryo feared he would be able to see the lie if he allowed him enough time.

Bikky made a sound of obvious displeasure. "Boo, Ryo. I'll behave! You know how long it's been since we went out for dinner? I haven't had a decent meal in weeks!" Ryo shot him a glare, and Bikky sat up a bit. "Err, well, I mean, a meal that, you know, was cooked by restaurant people." Ryo continued to glare at him, temporarily having forgotten about his worries from a moment ago. "Aww, Ryo! You know what I mean!"

"Bikky, I'm sorry, but you can't come," Ryo repeated as he placed another dish in the cabinet. "I made lasagna for you for tonight, but if my cooking isn't up to your standards, you could always cook your own dinner."

Dark ears perked up at the mention of the dish and Bikky sauntered from the couch into the kitchen next to Ryo and picked up a mug. He stared at it for a second before passing it to him. The boy passed another dish to Ryo, secretly excited for the meal awaiting him in the refrigerator, and muttered "Well, I guess I could consider-"

Bikky was interrupted by a knock at the door, and before Ryo had a chance to put down the plate he held, the young boy had shot to the door and now stood staring up at Berkeley with a very disgruntled expression on his face.

"Yeah, it's a fair trade!" he called back to Ryo as he studied the extremely boring looking man standing in the hall.

Berkeley didn't expect the door to be answered by someone other than Ryo, but it didn't surprise him either. After all, someone much worse than a child could have opened the door and then he would have to deal with more than just dissatisfied stares like the ones the kid was giving him.

It had been a while since he had last seen Bikky Goldman. Other than meeting the child in England, Berkeley had spotted him a small handful of times inside the precinct, though the child didn't seem to notice him. And that was fine with him. He really didn't care much for children anyway.

Looking down at the squat tween, Berkeley tried not to return the condescending stare, but it was proving to be difficult. The older male averted his gaze to look inside the apartment, hoping the person Bikky was yelling at was Ryo and not someone else. He wasn't able to see too far into the dwelling, but from what he could tell, the detective kept his place fairly neat, especially considering he was sheltering a very rambunctious kid.

"Good evening, Bikky. I'm assuming Mr. Maclean is home," Berkeley stated, not in the mood to play games, or at least not with the one standing in front of him. He would be civil, of course. He could count on one hand the number of single women he had dated who had children, though he rarely came into contact with them when he did. He wondered if this would be any different.

"Yeah," Bikky said simply, jerking his head in the direction of the kitchen, but refused to move out of the door frame. Even when he did this, however, he kept his eyes on the boring looking guy in front of him. He looked familiar, but Bikky couldn't pinpoint exactly who he was. Obviously he was someone Ryo knew from the precinct, so nine out of ten chances was that he had seen him around.

Ryo stumbled out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a washcloth as he came towards them. "Bikky, this is Commissioner Rose," he said, looking down at the washcloth sheepishly as he realized he had brought it out with him. He handed it to Bikky, who reluctantly reached out for it and moved aside. "Sorry, sir," he said, glancing at Berkeley before looking back at Bikky. "The lasagna is in the refrigerator and I just finished putting the dishes away. Please remember to-"

Bikky held up the washcloth, fixing Ryo with a knowing stare. "Dude, I know what to do. It's not like this is the first time you've left me home alone. In case you forgot, you're a cop. You're gone, like, all the time."

Ryo looked as if he was going to continue talking, but sighed instead and placed a hand on Bikky's shoulder. "Thanks, Bikky. I shouldn't be out too late, and I want to see that homework done by the time I get back," he added, and Bikky made a face. "I mean it!" he finished, walking out of the apartment before walking back in to grab his keys. Bikky sauntered back towards the kitchen, waving his hand absentmindedly and trailing a 'yeah, yeah' behind him as Ryo shut the door.

Berkeley watched the interaction with vague interest. He said nothing, knowing that it wasn't his place to. It seemed Ryo was doing a decent job as a guardian, even if his ward did have a bit of an attitude. It was almost as if Ryo had a miniature Dee Laytner under his wing, he suddenly thought, but then mentally shook his head as such a silly notion.

With another sigh, the young blonde locked the door and finally faced his senior officer. A slight flush had somehow managed to infiltrate his cheeks and he willed it down as he offered an awkward smile. "Sorry about that," he said, shoving his keys into his pocket and checked the other for his cell. "Is, uh…" he gestured to himself. "Is this acceptable…?"

When Bikky finally turned away, Berkeley surprisingly found himself more at ease. He took a step back as Ryo made his final preparations, a small smile tugging at his lips as he watched the blonde bumble around for several moments. Once Ryo finally faced him, the smile widened as he gave the other a not so quick once-over.

In comparison to Ryo's more muted color scheme, the commissioner's attire seemed much bolder and domineering. His charcoal suit looked brand new, as if maybe he had only worn it once or twice before. The pale golden shirt made his skin almost seem to glow and the blue tie, speckled with different shades of green, brought out the color of his hardened eyes. To say he looked handsome was a mild understatement and Berkeley was well aware of this.

"You look stunning, as usual," he told Ryo, his voice holding a bit of huskiness to it.

His fingers twitched, the desire to reach out toward the other detective more than pressing, but he fought against it.

_Not now. Not here._

Berkeley took a step away from the doorway, keeping his eyes trained on Ryo all the while. "Let's head out, shall we? I hope you're not afraid of heights otherwise I might have to request a different table," he said teasingly as he began to turn away from the younger blonde.

The flush returned and Ryo decided to take the offered change of subject whole-heartedly as to not embarrass himself further. Berkeley looked like he was going to dinner with the CEO of some high standing company and Ryo suddenly felt over-conscious of how he himself was dressed…

_I should have worn something more formal…_ he thought, but then pushed it away. This may be a date, but it was still just dinner. Just dinner with his boss. It was incredibly easy for Ryo to convince himself this was a business dinner and he tried his hardest to allow that thought to take root in his mind. Of course, it didn't work as well as he thought it would…

"Heights?" he repeated, glancing over at the older male next to him then shaking his head slightly. "I live on the third floor of my apartment building and Dee lives on the roof," he smiled as a short laugh flittered past his lips. "If I was afraid of heights, I'd need to move."

Ryo pushed the button on the elevator and shoved one hand into his pants pocket as he waited. As his eyes focused back on Berkeley, he realized just how different he looked than at work. His hair was brushed into what Ryo could only describe as a neat mess and were those cufflinks? He looked back at the elevator and realized with a sinking feeling that it had only progressed one floor. Either it was going extremely slow today, or Ryo's mind was going a million miles a minute with all this thinking.

He wanted to start some kind of conversation with the older blonde, but… he had no idea what to say…

An involuntary tick struck the commissioner's jaw at the mention of the younger detective, but otherwise his expression didn't change. He forced the smile to remain on his face and the sudden spike of jealousy to mellow out.

"Well, I don't know how many floors up Laytner's apartment is, but I highly doubt that it's on the 45th story," Berkeley replied as nonchalantly as he could manage. He glanced down at his watch as he spoke then looked back up to the other blonde, slight amusement touching his slightly greener than usual eyes. "So tell me, Ryo, have you ever been inside the Marriot Marquis?"

The elevator dinged as it reached their floor and Ryo was surprised it had gotten there so quick. It felt as if he had waited an hour for it to raise that first floor trying to come up with something to talk about, but Berkeley had saved him from his thoughts. By the sound of it, and in reality, it had only been a few seconds... Ryo mentally shook his head as he tried to get back on track. It was only Berkeley, his boss from the precinct. Why was he this nervous?

"The Marriot Marquis?" he repeated, turning to look at the older male as they entered the elevator. After a second, he shook his head. "No, I don't think I've even been past the first floor..." he admitted. The only time Ryo could recall being in the building was for professional reasons, investigating a call. There was never any reason for him to explore, as it was much too expensive for him. He hit the ground floor button, shifted into a more comfortable position, and fixed Berkeley with a probing stare. "Is that where we are going?"

Berkeley nodded. "There's a restaurant on the top floor called The View. Appropriate name, really." He shifted as well, leaning a shoulder against the wall of the elevator, eyeing him in the same manner as Ryo was watching him. "If you recall, it is New York's only revolving rooftop restaurant and the food is just as sublime as, well, the view."

His smile widened, a more content look settling on his face. _Ah, The View._ It had been a while since he had last dined there. He couldn't remember if it was for business or pleasure, but each and every time he had eaten there, he had enjoyed himself. They were leaving early enough to catch the sunset, which was truly a sight to behold from such a great altitude as well as, in Berkeley's eyes anyway, very romantic.

He was hopeful that Ryo would feel the same…

Ryo nodded as he listened, recalling the restaurant in question. He had heard about it once or twice, and seen it mentioned in some news articles he sometimes read... but wasn't that place expensive? His insides churned for the fiftieth time that night, but this time due to his budget. Even though he could probably afford the place, it wasn't in his best interests to spend his entire savings on one meal.

_Oh yeah..._ Ryo reminded himself as he remembered this was a date, and he was a guy... therefore he should be paying for both of their meals, but then that would make Berkeley the girl and...

He mentally shook his head, his temples throbbing with trying to figure out what was going on. _I guess I'll have to cross that bridge when I get there..._

"So you've been there?" he asked, changing the topic away from the reason for their outing. "You'll have to suggest what's good, because I think the fanciest place I've eaten in awhile is the diner down the street from the precinct," he joked, smiling albeit the truth of his words. Going out to dinner wasn't something he and Dee did often, and they most certainly hadn't gone on any dates. It was way too early in this whole scenario for Ryo to be calling himself gay, and he was going to cling to that last strand of invisible thread for as long as it took to break.

"I've been there more than a handful of times, yes. And not to worry," Berkeley replied with a confident smile. "I'm fairly certain there'll be plenty of items on the menu that catch your eye."

The elevator dinged as they reached the ground floor and Berkeley allowed Ryo to exit before him. He sidled next to the younger blonde, smiling pleasantly at him as they strolled through the lobby. It wasn't until now that giddiness began to tickle at his belly. Finally, after waiting for so long, he and Ryo were going on a date. He had been patient, had played his cards right, and had received his prize.

Granted, the night wasn't going to be filled with anything incredibly exciting. They didn't have plans for anything other than dinner, though perhaps if the night went well, he could suggest they go for a drink or maybe even catch a showing somewhere.

Just being with Ryo made him feel elated. The other detective didn't look as well-dressed as he did, but he barely paid that any notice. He wore his clothes well, his hair was freshly styled, and his aftershave was just strong enough to tease Berkeley's nostrils. He longed to stroke his fingers against Ryo's smooth cheek, to comb them into his neat hair, only to muss it up…

Like Ryo had before, Berkeley mentally shook his head. No, he needed to have a clear mind tonight and not let it fill with sensual images of Ryo, no matter how nice the images were. He needed to concentrate and make sure the younger male was having a good time. Ryo wasn't some simple engagement that he could use for his pleasure and simply toss aside afterward with a kiss on the lips and a phone number in his pocket.

Ryo was…

Well, he was Ryo.

It was hard to miss Berkeley's car as they exited the apartment building and Ryo could almost swear he could feel his neighbors staring at him as they approached the Cadillac. He hadn't thought about it before when Berkeley had dropped him off, but around here, that kind of luxury stood out like a sore thumb- a sore thumb that happened to be dipped in neon paint, at that.

He glanced back up towards his window, and for a second, he thought he saw the curtains move slightly. Without thinking, Ryo took a step back, toward the car and away from the building, when he thought for some reason it might be Dee in his apartment, ready to throw himself out the window at him. It took another second for his heart to stop beating so fast with that ludicrous idea and he smiled as he turned back towards the older detective.

"I'll take your word for it," and he hoped that he could. The last time he had a meal as fancy as the one they seemed to be going to was when his aunt had taken him out after he had graduated, or at least that was the last time he could remember…

Bikky stood next to the window, his back plastered against the wall and his breathing coming in shallow bursts as he peaked back out towards the street. Ryo had almost caught him staring and Bikky had instinctively hid. He bopped himself in the head for his foolishness. What was Ryo going to do if he looked out the window, huh? Nothing. That's what.

Again he parted the curtains in his room, studying the car that his caretaker was getting into. He couldn't be sure, but it looked familiar… like he had seen the car somewhere before, and for some reason, that unnerved him.

He gave one last glare at the automobile before wandering back into the kitchen.

"That guy's weird…" he said to himself, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed and a skeptical expression on his face. "Kinda reminds me of Dee… except more grown up…" He narrowed his eyes again, having just calculated up a plan for following them when the microwave beeped, scaring him out of his thoughts.

His lasagna was done.

~.~.~.~.~

So far, the night had gone off without a hitch. Well, that wasn't technically true, Berkeley thought to himself. There were a couple hindrances here and there, like traffic and having to wait longer than expected for a table, even though he had previously made reservations to avoid such a thing. They were escorted to their table just as the sun began to disappear behind the cluster of buildings in the horizon. Just the look on Ryo's face at the sight was enough to cause his heart to flutter inside his chest, though he was interrupted when the blonde nearly knocked over his own chair trying to sit down, besotted with the view of the skyline.

There was also the matter of the cost of the meal, which wasn't a problem for him as Berkeley had already taken it upon himself to foot the bill. After all, he knew the prices, not to mention what kind of man would he be if he let his date pay for his meal?

Other than that, the experience was pleasant, though a bit too quiet. More than several times, they seemed to run out of things to say to one another, which Berkeley didn't mind too much. He settled for staring across the table as they ate, watching Ryo and smiling when the younger man shied away from his gaze. Ryo was just too bashful, but that was one of the qualities about him that Berkeley treasured. It was precious, really.

An itch nagged at the back of Ryo's neck and he longed to scratch at it to relieve himself of some of the awkwardness that he felt. The food was beyond words and it didn't take him long to find something that he wanted to try. Everything looked delicious, but he doubted he would ever get another opportunity to dine in such splendor.

As Berkeley had said, The View had the most magnificent perspective of the city and Ryo continuously tried to look out across town to spot his apartment, the precinct, Bikky's school, and Dee's flat. It was never hard, despite the darkness, and the blonde began making a game of what other buildings he could see when he looked out.

Currently, they were in another of their quiet spells with Ryo, once again, looking out the window. Even if he did live on the third floor, that was absolutely nothing compared to this. Again he chided himself on being so childish and focused back down on his dessert.

"So…" he cleared his throat as he set his fork down, crumbs lingering on his plate as a testament to what once was there. He wanted to say something, do something… _Anything…_ He usually didn't mind the silence, and more times than not, it wasn't a problem… but after being around Dee for so long, he had gotten used to the brunette having so much to talk about.

A thoughtful expression came unbidden to his face as he tried to come up with something to converse about.

"So?" Berkeley mimicked after he swallowed the piece of tart that he had been savoring. Hazel eyes flitted up from his plate, his tongue subconsciously darting past his lips to lick away a couple crumbs. He realized what he had done and retrieved his napkin from his lap and dabbed it at his mouth, clearing his throat as he did. "Is something wrong?"

Ryo felt his cheeks heat up as he locked his gaze with the older blonde and closed his eyes in a sheepish smile.

"No, I, uh, I just wanted to say that you can see the precinct from here," he pointed in the general direction of their office.

Berkeley humored the other man by looking out the window at the night sky and toward the familiar patch of area where the precinct was certainly located. He smiled, nodded a little, and then turned back.

"You can probably see almost any building within a several mile radius of here," Berkeley commented, a bit of humor touching his smile.

He laid the cloth napkin next to his plate, finished with his meal. Their server had yet to bring the check, but he wasn't necessarily in any hurry to leave. The city revolved around them, a haze of gold speckled with different colors here and there. It was magnificent… But he could tell that Ryo was slowly becoming bored or tired of being there.

"I guess you're right," Ryo agreed, mentally kicking himself for making such a statement. Obviously Berkeley would have known how far one could see, considering he had been here before... Still, though, Ryo couldn't keep his eyes from the window for long. It was like when he and Dee had gone to England-Ryo's favorite place was the balcony of his room.

"So," Berkeley began, but was cut off at the sudden appearance of their server. He asked for the check, which sent the man on his way once more, then turned back to Ryo. "So," he started once more, leaning forward slightly as he spoke, "would you be interesting in getting a drink somewhere?"

The check was going to be horrendous, and Ryo was horrified at even thinking about what it might be. "A drink..?" he repeated, Berkeley's question tearing him from his worries. "Well, I don't think that would be a problem..." He checked his watch, thinking about how Bikky was doing and which shift he had tomorrow. "Sure, we can do that. Jim's Bar, down the street from my place, is pretty nice. I've gone there a few times, and Jim is a great guy," he offered, not knowing too many places for a drink, despite living in the city.

Berkeley blinked, unsure of Ryo's suggestion. He was originally going to offer one of the dozen or so places where he normally frequented for a drink, but the younger detective seemed fairly comfortable with his own suggestion. It would be for the best, he told himself, if Ryo were comfortable. He himself could easily adjust to a different setting.

"Sounds fine to me," the commissioner replied, taking the bill before the other could even think about looking at it himself. He removed his checkbook from his jacket and began the check for both of their meals, including a more than pleasing tip to it as well. "Would it be alright if I park at your building and we walk there?" he asked, glancing up as he wrote.

Ryo reached out to take the black folder that securely held the bill, but was beaten by Berkeley. He made a face, and the tips of his cheeks reddened a bit again. _Yep…_ he said to himself, a sickly sweet sensation filling his stomach. _This is a date…_ Ohh, if Dee found out, he would be in shit up to his eyeballs.

Except the good part was that Dee wouldn't find out…

Hopefully Dee wouldn't find out…

Ryo nervously wiped his hands on the soft cloth napkin before setting it in front of him where his dish had previously been. When the server had managed to retrieve the crumb-riddled piece of China was a mystery to him, but tonight seemed to be full of those.

"That's fine," Ryo nodded to the question. "It's about a ten minute walk from my apartment," he added, watching as Berkeley finished writing the check. A thin strand of blonde hair fell in front of his glasses for a moment, giving the older man a younger glow in the soft filtered light from the city. A second lock joined the first, adding to the look for just a second more before an easy motion of his hand swept them back into place, and the boy became a man once again.

Ryo snapped out of his trance and the restaurant dimmed once again in the faint overhead lighting.

"That isn't far," Berkeley observed, not really sure if the utterance was for his benefit or Ryo's.

After finishing the check, he tore it from the book and placed it inside the black envelope. He cast a slightly inviting glance at his companion before rising from the table. Since he had written a check, he didn't need to wait for a receipt from the server. He would balance his checkbook later, after he got home.

"Well, let's go then."

He took once last peek at the table to make sure he wasn't leaving anything behind before walking with the other detective out of the restaurant. Part of him was a bit wary of where they were headed next, as he had never heard of "Jim's Bar" and had the feeling that it would be just that. A bar. He hadn't been to a simpleton place such as what he was expecting in eons- Well, not for pleasure, anyway. Another part of him said to trust Ryo. He didn't seem the type of man to go to "trashy" places, so hopefully the bar wouldn't be as poor quality as he imagined.


	6. Chapter 6: Alcohol and Coffee do not Mix

**A/N:** I wanted to get this chapter out on Christmas, but oh well. Anyway, I'm going on another trip. I don't know how well we'll be able to pump out chapters, but the story is almost done! Another three chapters tops. Hope everyone had a terrific holiday season and all that~

Chapter dedicated to my wonderful reviewer Jolllyolly~

Oh god, what has Ryo done now?

* * *

><p><strong><span>Midnight at the Precinct<span>**

_Chapter 6: Alcohol and Coffee do not Mix_

The bar wasn't very busy that night and Ryo was more than grateful. He hated coming here when it was packed. Thankfully, it was too early for the late workers to be here and too late for the second shift wave. Ryo enjoyed the slight change of expression Berkeley had shown when they arrived. It wasn't as nice as some of the places he had probably gone, sure, but it wasn't just another bar that New York City had scattered on every other block. It had a lounge area off to the right and an arranged assortment of tables to the left. A 50" Plasma screen TV was mounted next to the bar, obviously for when sports season came around. Tonight, however, it was turned to the local news.

It was an easy mixture of upper and middle class and that's how Jim liked it. It pleased his higher end customers without scaring away the rest of the world.

Ryo felt immediately comfortable in the familiar surroundings and he visibly relaxed as they took a seat in the lounge area. It didn't take Jim long to finish with one of the regulars and come over to them. He stood about 6'3" and had a large build to him with most of it being muscle. His light brown hair looked like it had been combed earlier in the day, but as the evening had worn on, so did his hair, falling in a tousled mess that suited him well.

Jim grinned as he threw the towel he had been using over his shoulder. His hazel eyes laughed as he made a joke about not having seen Ryo in awhile and his handshake was firm as he was introduced to Berkeley.

"The usual?" he asked Ryo, who confirmed before taking Berkeley's order. Another three minutes and Ryo's less-vodka-than-tonic and Berkeley's Manhattan rested before them. Once more, Jim poked fun at Ryo's lightweight nature. Ryo frowned at his friend after glancing sheepishly over at Berkeley, having not planned to tell the Commissioner about his inability to hold alcohol and clumsily changed the topic onto something less reveling.

Berkeley was decently content with the bar and its easy-going atmosphere. It was definitely a locals' joint and not somewhere he was accustomed to going himself. It wasn't a dump, that was for certain. Far from it, actually. He was fairly impressed at the size of the television considering he had a smaller model in his home. Not that he ever had time to watch it, of course. And he had been in bars and clubs that were far more crowded that this, so being able to actually breathe and not choke on cigarette smoke or repulsive body odor was definitely a plus.

The bar's owner was a top-notch individual, in the commissioner's standards anyway. He seemed like the type of fellow who played football when he was younger or was in the armed forces. He was certainly large enough to have been hired on as a bouncer or security. Plus, he certainly knew how to entertain without being obnoxious.

"I'm honored to have the commissioner of the NYPD in my bar," he had said, tipping his imaginary hat to Berkeley with a wide grin then declaring his drink on the house. Berkeley would have politely declined the offer were he not used to all the free beverages he had gotten over the years, thanks to his ranking in the police force, and, not to mention, he knew declining a drink from the bar's owner would have been more than a little disrespectful.

One thing he certainly liked about the bar was how well Ryo fit in it. The detective was certainly not one who drank often, which he noted from the other's choice of drink. The place seemed more like a lounge than a bar, the more Berkeley thought about it, and a fairly smart one, at that. Ryo seemed much more relaxed here than at The View, which also eased the older male. With a bit of alcohol in his system- and some prodding from Jim-, Ryo lightened up considerably, which in turn made him even more at ease. He even loosened his tie a little as he enjoyed both the company and his drink.

He couldn't help but feel a little envious of how much more relaxed Ryo was here rather than when they were alone at the restaurant. Of course, he made certain not to show it and he chatted along easily with the owner, when he wasn't taking care of his other customers, and, of course, Ryo. At least the detective was enjoying himself. Despite that, the more alcohol Berkeley consumed, the more he wanted to whisk Ryo away from there and have him all to himself…

Two drinks and a lot of uncomplicated laughter later, Ryo left the bar with Berkeley and headed back towards his apartment building. His previously neat dirty-blonde hair now held the windswept look of a New York night, and his midnight eyes sparkled with the flickering lights of the street around them. Even his tie was loosened comfortably and the collar button on his shirt was undone.

Though his less-vodka-than-tonic drinks weren't that potent, anyone who knew Ryo could tell that the alcohol was clearly affecting him. To the untrained eye, he looked like any other worker who just got off second shift. To Berkeley, he looked irresistible, almost as if he had been dragged into an alley and had the daylights kissed out of him, which was something the older male was resisting doing himself.

He conversed easily about mundane topics, flitting back to cases at work every once in awhile. Ryo was a workaholic to the core, even intoxicated. However, one of his favorite things to talk about was Bikky and how proud he was of him. Of course, that was in addition to all the times he would want to smack some sense into him.

By the time they reached Berkeley's car and his building, most of the alcohol had worn itself out. Walking the buzz off was always something Ryo tried to do before coming home and he was glad it still worked. The slight wave that all drinks leave behind still plagued him, but not nearly as bad as before.

"Sorry, I guess I got carried away at the bar," he apologized, knowing he only had two drinks. To Ryo, that was too many and he told himself that he shouldn't have accepted the second when Jim brought it out. "Would you like to come in for some coffee?" he offered, fully intending on making coffee for himself when he got in to rid his mind of the last traces of the swimming sensation.

The offer of coffee was more than tempting and not because it was coffee. Berkeley was fairly confident in his ability to drive back home, not having a single problem with his speech or balance after his three drinks. It was obvious he was a social drinker and his tolerance to alcohol was much higher than the loosened detective at his side.

Ryo was inviting him into his home, and while he couldn't necessarily follow through as he had on previous occasions when invited into other dates' homes, he was still grateful for the offer. This was why he didn't date single parents often, he reminded himself. Having children often interfered with having an "active" dating life.

"You were fine," he reassured the younger male with a pat on the back. He smiled at Ryo. "We both loosened up a good bit. I know _I_ enjoyed myself. "

That in itself was an understatement. Even with the alcohol's effects, Berkeley's attraction toward Ryo had skyrocketed in the previous hour and a half that he had spent with the elated blonde. He loved seeing Ryo relaxed, leaned back, laughing without a care in the world. It made him irritated for taking his time, his partially hazy mind telling himself that he should just pin Ryo down and show him exactly how he really felt rather than continue waiting.

Maybe he needed that coffee more than he thought.

"Me too," Ryo admitted, not only to Berkeley, but himself as well. The night really had been enjoyable, and he would be lying if he said he hadn't thought otherwise when he was worrying himself sick over it.

"I think I'll take you up on the coffee," Berkeley replied, shifting slightly where he stood. He ignored the slight ache in his slacks, still very flaccid and preferring to stay that way.

"Decaf or regular?" Ryo asked as they reached the elevator, the doors dinging open as he pressed the button.

Of course, as soon as he passed the metal threshold, a new thought struck him and washed a new wave of stress through his veins.

_Did I pick up coffee the last time I went to the store…?_ He thought, watching the third floor switch light up as he pushed the corresponding button. _I've been on first shift so much lately… and the precinct has coffee there, so…_

"Regular," Berkeley replied as the elevator shifted and started its short journey to Ryo's floor.

He watched the other's movements through half-lidded eyes which could have been mistaken for tiredness. He was good at masking his emotions and desires like that. Well, most of the time anyway. Right now he thought he was doing a fairly decent job of seeming languid as he gazed at the other blonde from the short distance away, controlling the urges that were racking his slowly tensing body.

What would Ryo do if he just pushed him against the wall of the elevator and ravished him? Would he try to push him away or would he unenthusiastically accept the kisses and touches? Or maybe _this time_ he would be more eager… The thought of Ryo's lips pressing back against his caused his breath to halt in his chest and he swallowed unintentionally.

"So, what are the chances of a follow-up of tonight?" he asked, a slight huskiness in his voice. The corners of his mouth curled upward into a small smile, trying to seem both casual but upfront at the same time.

Ryo's mundane train of thought came to an abrupt halt as the question seeped into the dark recesses of his consciousness, effectively ceasing all other thoughts that could possibly distract him. It was a simple question, one he should have expected, but Ryo found himself blinking as he turned to face the older male.

For what he knew was the billionth time that night, a red stain tinted the apples of his cheeks and he coughed in an attempt to keep his voice from betraying his fluctuating emotions.

"I enjoyed myself," he admitted once again, not entirely sure how he was supposed to respond. Surely there would be times he would need to go out with the commissioner on work related activities… does that count as a follow-up? He had no idea. "I wouldn't m-" He was saved from continuing as the elevator dinged rather loudly, signaling their arrival at his floor.

He never had to answer a question like that before… Back in his days of dating, he had always been the one asking… now he understood why it was so hard for the girls he went out with to answer…

"Uhm, yeah, I…" he tried again, having left the words in the elevator when he exited. "Wasn't tonight expensive though?" he half changed the topic, hoping it would give him enough time to come up with something to say. It wasn't as if he wouldn't mind going out with Berkeley again. It felt as if they had just been hanging out as friends, since that's what he and Dee did all the time.

Wait, he shouldn't be comparing this to what he and Dee do, considering his partner…

He internally shook his head, the once lingering effects of the alcohol pushing once more into the forefront of his mind. His eyes shone slightly as he blinked with the effort of keeping his vision from swimming along with his stomach.

Berkeley chuckled slightly, shoving his hands absentmindedly into his pants pockets as he strode behind the detective. "We don't have to go to such an expensive place if you don't want to," he said, his eyes looking more of a lapis lazuli blue now. "We could go to the movies or catch a baseball game. I wouldn't mind simply going for a walk in the park as long as it was just the two of us."

And it was true. He wouldn't mind doing anything with Ryo- well, almost anything. He did have standards and an image to uphold, after all. Of course, he couldn't imagine the other blonde wanting to go out and do something silly like singing karaoke or going to an arcade. No, they had similar interests and similar habits; Berkeley wanted to know even more about him, wanted to do more with him, and wanted Ryo to want to do more with him as well.

Nodding, Ryo was once again reminded of two friends going out for a day. He never did understand the difference between dating and friendship… Maybe that's what Berkeley was wanting all along and he was just masking it in this… really weird way?

Alcohol had a way with playing with Ryo's mind and he found himself nodding again despite knowing it was probably a bad idea.

"That's true. I haven't been to a baseball game in ages…" he said, but suddenly recalled Bikky's face and how he would be so incredibly pissed if he went to something like that without him. "But movies sound just as good," he added quickly as he fished around in his pocket for his keys. They were almost to his apartment, and he liked to think Bikky hadn't unlocked the door for any reason.

"Sure," he said finally, stopping a few steps from his door to turn and look at him. "I wouldn't mind, uhm, trying this again," _I think…_ he added to himself, still not entirely sure what he was saying. _Alcohol… I really… really should tell Jim not to let me have alcohol when I'm out with people…_

Ryo's tone and slightly off demeanor sparked something inside the older blond. He himself wasn't exactly certain what the emotion was. Maybe it was simply a mixture of emotions. Whatever it was, it was ripping away every shred of self-control that he had been so keenly maintaining.

He closed the distance between the two of them so that they were only inches apart now. Berkeley's eyes blazed with desire and power as he gazed at Ryo. He decided to give him once more chance.

"Ryo," Berkeley began, his voice thick with yearning, "I'm asking you out on another date. You understand this, right?"A rattled breath left his slightly parted lips. His chest stung and his skin felt as if it were burning, his restraint quickly waning. "I want you madly, so much that just standing here with you is tearing me apart inside."

Ryo blinked up at the older man, Berkeley's piercing eyes swimming with the intensity, and truth, of his words. He could feel his ears grow red and an unbidden memory of Dee screaming what felt like those same words at him sliced into his thoughts.

He had to get into the apartment. If he stayed out here any longer, something might happen that… he couldn't tell if he wanted or would regret… Only problem is that his legs wouldn't move. He couldn't even muster the strength to attempt a half-hearted push against the older male. If he had bothered to look, he would see that he was inches from the door- he could reach out and touch it if he tried.

The sober part of his brain shrieked at him to find his legs and get to the door or his voice and call out to Bikky. Surely the kid wouldn't have his headphones on if he was in the apartment alone. But no matter how hard he tried to comply with this command, the alcohol rooted him to the spot and his limbs felt like an unholy mixture of lead and rubber, his hands faring no better. It was a wonder he was still holding onto his keys.

Ryo opened his mouth slightly as if to say something, but couldn't find the words and closed it again.

Yes, he knew what Berkeley meant… he just hadn't wanted to admit it to himself…

And then there was Dee…

He looked down as that thought flew across his mind, but as quickly as it had come, it was gone. He studied Berkeley's loose tie and he realized a lock or two of his hair had shifted slightly into his face when he moved. Ryo knew he couldn't just stand there forever looking at Berkeley's tie… he had to…

He had to…

Looking up, he tried again to locate his vocal cords, but the hunt was unsuccessful and left his lips slightly parted with unspoken words. The alcohol continued to transform his eyes into swirling black holes of emotion, and when he locked them upon the commissioner's, Ryo was terrified to find he couldn't break away again…

There was nothing else to say between them. The look on Ryo's face, the trembling of his lips… His eyes that, although pitch black, gleamed from the raw emotion in them… and Berkeley knew. He knew that in the lack of Ryo's words, he too wanted this, but couldn't bring himself to admit it or didn't know how.

The very last thread of Berkeley's sanity snapped, the sensation of it reverberating through him violently. It took less than a second for his hand to connect with Ryo's shoulder and drive him back against the wall. The force of his shove resonated up his arm, leaving him wondering just how hard the other's back hit the plaster, but the thought only lasted for a second before being tossed into the depths of his mind. Berkeley's grip tightened against the muscle and bone while his other arm had woven around the other's waist before he had even realized it. He was now a solid mass of steel against the shorter male, unable and refusing to back off.

His mouth came crashing against Ryo's, his body soon following to align itself with the blonde's. The younger detective was pray to his ravishing kisses and Berkeley's breath smoldered their lips. His tongue wedged itself past the younger male's teeth, grazing against them slowly before finally brushing against the other's timid tongue. He took control, the tip of the forceful muscle circling Ryo's tongue and flicking against it in an attempt to draw it toward his own zealous mouth.

Ryo half-yelped as he hit the wall, his shoulder burning with both the impact and Berkeley's strong touch. He caught a glimpse of his face before the kiss began, and much to Ryo's surprise, it had an effect on him. He felt the lead that was once trapped in his legs shoot up into his chest, then back down to settle into a churning mess in his stomach. At first, he tried to keep his mouth closed, but his muscles weren't working properly and they were easily breached.

Berkeley had waited all evening- no, even longer- for this moment. There was no way he was going to let anything spoil the sensation that had so powerfully taken over him. He wanted Ryo, and now that he finally had him, their bodies more than touching, entwined…

There was nothing else. There was only now.

Only Ryo…

A bubbling sensation pushed through the molten metal in Ryo's abdomen, which allowed the lead to flow elsewhere… He hummed unintentionally as he felt Berkeley's tongue tangle in his own and he realized in a rush that the tangle wasn't entirely one-sided… Ryo felt himself moving… _responding_… He felt his head push forward to deepen the kiss, only to be shoved back against the wall with more intensity than before.

_What am I doing?_ his mind screeched at him and he battled fruitlessly against himself to regain some semblance of control. _Snap out of it, Ryo! You can't be doing-_ His train of thought was cut abruptly short as he found he was not only returning the kiss now, but his tongue had pushed past Berkeley's into the older male's mouth as well.

"Nnng…" he managed as his subconscious attempted in vain to regain its audience.

He shivered and placed one hand on Berkeley's chest, whether to push him away or pull him closer he wasn't too sure. Hell, he wasn't even aware he had movement in his arms again.

~.~.~.~.~

Bikky cocked an eyebrow at the door, waiting for something else to smash against the wall. Of course he had heard the reverberating smash and was now starting to get worried. He folded his arms, his legs already crossed in front of the television- which he had muted as soon as the crash had nearly scared the piss out of him- and battled with the invading sensation that something was _wrong…_

He stood and fluidly made his way to the door, wondering vaguely if Rob had gone back to drinking and was now slumped lifelessly outside his door… _Well that would suck, _he thought to himself, mentally playing out the scene when Ryo got home to discover their neighbor passed out in front of not his apartment but theirs.

_Ryo said not to open the door to anyone…_ he told himself as he turned, intending to return to the television, but instead deciding that it wouldn't kill him to look out the peephole…

~.~.~.~.~

Berkeley groaned softly into Ryo's mouth, the husky sound muted as their lips and tongues continued to explore one another. Once the blonde returned his kiss with equal fervor, all was lost to him. There was no stopping the powerful radiance of yearning that enveloped the two of them. The hand against Ryo's shoulder loosened, but only slightly, as it was now replaced by the thrust of the commissioner's hips. Berkeley grinded against Ryo's, another pleasure-filled hum lingering in his throat as he now suckled on the blonde's tongue

But he didn't stop there.

He bit down gently, but firmly on Ryo's bottom lip, flicking his tongue against the now pulsing bud before letting his kisses travel away from the detective's mouth and to his exposed neck. Holding fast to Ryo, he continued to explore the other's heated flesh. Lips, tongue, and teeth traveled across the tensed muscles, massaging and teasing it until his lips were wrapped around the strong jugular. At the same time, the hand that had previously held Ryo's back had snaked its way around to his stomach and began to pull at the front of the blonde's shirt until the front of it slipped from the waistband of his pants. Berkeley's fingers slipped under the soft fabric until he felt the even softer brush of Ryo's quavering stomach and the tiny little hairs that lead down from his navel.

God, how he wanted to lower his hand into Ryo's pants and touch the most intimate part of him. He wanted to touch every part of the blonde and with this being the closest he had ever been to Ryo, Berkeley couldn't bring himself to stop. He needed more. There was no other thought in his mind as his lips began to press even harder to the pliant skin and begin to suck, his fingertips grazing against the leather of Ryo's belt in an attempt to loosen it.

"A-Ahh..." Ryo panted as his lips were finally released, the cool air rushing over them to send another chill down his spine. He didn't even feel his shirt being tugged loose, but his body responded to the rough hand now running over his leaden stomach. More of the molten metal poured into his lower abdomen, despite his efforts to stop it, and he could sense the storm brewing within him as his chest expanded with the sensation.

He leaned his head back, allowing Berkeley the access he currently desired to his neck, and fisted his hand in the front of the older man's shirt. His free hand had found the other's shoulder, his subconscious having just now begun to win over the lingering alcohol that fueled him. Ryo knew he was pushing against the shoulder, but it seemed to just draw the commissioner closer.

"N-Naa…" he tried to voice his concern before it went too far, but he feared that might already be too late. "C-Commiss…" The other's title half fell out of his bruised lips, but he couldn't find the right words to tell him. He… he found that he wanted this, but there was another part… a large part that had planted a seed of guilt within him and now it flourished. "W-We can't…" he tried again, gulping in a mouthful of air as if he had been holding his breath.

Bikky's eyes widened as he saw Ryo's keys lying just within the peephole's periphery. In an instant, Bikky had the door unlocked and had thrown the door open, the knob hitting the wall within the apartment hard enough to bruise the plaster.

"RYO!" he screamed as he leapt into the hall, his nostrils flaring as he prepared to meet that perverted Dee. How had he gotten up here without him noticing? And why had he even come, knowing Ryo was going to be out on that business thing?

What he found stunned him and he actually took a step back as he studied the man he had seen at the door earlier that evening. The really old, boring looking guy Ryo had gone to a business dinner with… _Apparently a different kind of business…_ his subconscious sarcastically added.

"B-BIKKY!" Ryo exclaimed, instantly snapping to full attention and attempted to shove the commissioner away from him. Unfortunately, he was an unmovable wall of steel and Ryo only resulted in pushing himself further into the wall. "I-I can explain!" he stuttered, trying to clarify the situation to himself even as he said it. Dread exploded into his chest and he felt himself grow cold as it reached out to every part of his body. It was one thing to be constantly sexually harassed by both men and women in the precinct, but it was another thing entirely when Bikky found out.

The door slamming open certainly got Berkeley's attention, and his fingers paused in their quest to loosen the other's belt.

Bikky was still frozen in place as he stared at the scene before him. His bright blue eyes took in everything: Ryo's shirt, the hand that seemed to vanish under the fabric, the completely reddened state of Ryo's entire face… and, of course, the whole positioning of everything. That certainly didn't help Ryo's weak excuse.

Adrenaline poured into Bikky's veins as he tensed for his attack. "RYO, I'M GOING TO PROTECT YOU FROM ALL THESE OLD PERVERTED MEN!" he hollered, launching himself at his guardian's assailant… and planting his foot firmly into his face before Ryo had a chance to react.

Berkeley's head rose just as he felt Ryo forcing him away, but by that time, it was already too late. As he turned toward the "intruder", he was met with a wide expanse of rubber and a large "NIKE" emblem. He heard a crunch before he felt an explosion of pain. He was forced back, staggering more than just a couple steps away from Ryo and clutching his throbbing face. _Face, not nose_, he vaguely noted amongst the stumbling.

He also realized that he was no longer wearing his glasses.

Looking up, his eyes slowly readjusted, though his vision was still slightly blurry without his glasses. Part of his brain told him to immediately search for what he knew would be pieces of his surely broken frames and lenses, but he couldn't tear his gaze from the pair that stood before him.

No… from Ryo…

Ryo gaped at the situation as it unfolded, seemingly in slow motion, before his eyes. Once more lead dropped into his limbs and he found that he couldn't move-this time from shock. He could see the bits of broken glasses at the sidelines of his vision, but he couldn't tear his gaze away from Berkeley's reddening face. He blinked, temporarily forgetting everything that had happened over the past minute to make room for the overwhelming amount of information that threatened to tear through his consciousness.

Bikky just kicked Berkeley in the face.

His adopted son just kicked his boss in the face.

Ice raced into Ryo's veins as the reality of the situation tackled him and his palms grew sweaty as his core body temperature plummeted with a low grade fever. By the time Bikky hit the floor, Ryo had stressed himself sick.

"Come on, Ryo!" Bikky urged, grabbing a hold of the blonde's wrist and pulling with all his might. "Damnit, Ryo! You weigh a ton!" he complained as he put his back into trying to get his guardian into the apartment. He continued talking about perverted old men and how everyone was after him and where the hell his gun was at a time like this. Ryo didn't budge from his spot against the wall, despite Bikky's frantic attempts.

Finally, in a rush of nausea, Ryo reached forward with the hand not being torn from his body to see if Berkeley was alright, but just that little movement gave Bikky the leverage he needed to shove the detective through the door. Bikky turned back once more to Berkeley and pulled his eyelid down as he demanded that he stay away from Ryo before slamming the door shut. Within a matter of seconds, Bikky had locked the door, chained it shut, and now stood against it as if moving would disintegrate the locks and the culprit would waltz right in.

It wasn't until a couple seconds after the door was slammed shut, a menagerie of locks sounding behind it afterward, that Berkeley realized that he was holding his breath; however, once the air began to fill his lungs, the rush of emotions that his previous shock was holding back began to fill him as well.

It wasn't just anger, no, although that was a decent amount of it. It soared through his once flaccid limbs, filling them with molten steel as he took his first step from his previously rooted position. It continued to rise in temperature as he stooped over, picked up the pieces of his glasses, one of his lenses broken into three pieces and the frames snapped and bent beyond repair, and put them inside the pocket of his jacket.

As he rose from the floor, the pressure of doing so surged to his face, causing the pain that he distinctly remembered from the attack to come darting back. He touched his face, expecting there to be blood, but there was none, or at least not that his exploring fingers could find.

With that pain came another sensation that he didn't expect to feel: betrayal. Ryo had said nothing as the small boy yanked him inside the apartment.

Still said nothing…

Dread came now. If he didn't expect the betrayal, he certainly didn't expect this. Each step toward Ryo's apartment thudded the chilling sensation throughout his body, which battled with the heat of the anger that refused to back down. The waging emotions made him dizzy, his footsteps uneven for the very first time that night, so that by the time he reached the door, he had put a hand to the doorframe to steady himself.

He didn't bother knocking. He could hear Bikky's voice just on the other side of the door and knew Ryo had to be there as well.

"Ryo?" he called out, his voice nowhere near as steady as it normally was. It definitely reflected the muddle of emotions that poorly puzzle-pieced himself together now. He wasn't going to break down, no, surely not. He was too strong, too male, and too old to let himself fall apart under such unreasonable circumstances… but he _was_ hurt, in more ways than one. And if Ryo didn't answer the door… with the war of emotions racking his insides, he really wasn't sure what he was going to do…

Ryo stood in the apartment, not even hearing Bikky's complaints as he attempted to gather the pieces of his sanity that had been scattered across the room when he was thrown inside. A raging wildfire burned in his chest, locked in an endless battle against the ice in his veins. He touched his face with his hands, his lips twitching in remembrance as a digit brushed against his bottom lip.

_What... what have I done...?_

It was that second that he heard Berkeley's weak- weak?- voice from the other side of the door, despite Bikky's constant complaints about what had just taken place. In two quick strides, he was in front of the door, his hand clamping over the child's mouth in an attempt to silence him. Bikky clearly didn't approve, and let his guard down long enough for Ryo to shove him aside and undo the main lock on the door and throw it open. Or at least try to open, considering he had completely forgotten the chain that bound the door to its frame.

Bikky half-slapped himself when he realized Ryo still hadn't noticed the chain and continued his failed attempt at opening the door. He positioned himself back in front of the door, hoping to close it the rest of the way, but nowhere near as worried about the really old man getting in with Ryo being a space-case again.

At least THIS time, Ryo's cluelessness worked in the young boy's favor.

"B-Berkeley! I-" Ryo stuttered, locking eyes with his boss through the three inches of open space and had to swallow his heart back into his chest. He had never seen the commissioner look so... completely full of emotion. It scared him and the ice gained a foothold over the heat in his chest as he gazed at him.

His own face was wracked with guilt and his eyes gleamed with tears he knew wouldn't come. He fully believed he had cried himself out when his parents died, but that didn't stop the sheen that glossed his pleading orbs.

"I'm so, so sorry... I didn't... Bikky, he isn't usually like this...!" The excuse fell out of his mouth before he had a chance to catch himself and quickly stumbled into an explanation. "Well, I mean, he's kicked and punched and bit Dee plenty of times, but not... I'm so sorry, please, let me... I'll pay for a replacement pair of glasses- just give me the bill and I'll take care of it!"

"Never mind the glasses!" Berkeley finally managed to get in, his voice much stronger now that he and Ryo were no longer separated by the door. Well, technically the door still separated them, but he could see Ryo and it made him feel the tiniest bit better. He noted the chain, knew the child had rigged it up, and immediately wanted to rip it from the wall. He certainly couldn't rip Bikky apart, though that definitely would have made him feel much better than taking out his anger on the door.

He pulled again on the door, silently cursing Bikky's nonexistent strength in holding the door closed. Bikky allowed himself a moment of triumph over his caregiver. He'll definitely have to relate this story to his friends tomorrow at school.

Dread and guilt flooded the young blonde and he was terrified to say that it wasn't entirely just because of what Bikky had done to Berkeley. It was also... what he had done with Berkeley...

"Please, I just... I just need to think about everything, and... and..." he trailed off, crinkling his eyes together just slightly, which increased his demolished expression as he attempted to think of something else to say.

The look on Ryo's face however dulled the anger further. His chest constricted at the pitiful expression and the desire to yank the chain from the wall, push the door, and pull Ryo into his arms tore at him mercilessly…. but he couldn't. Not with the child there. He wanted to at least reach through the door and touch the blonde, but he feared the door would be slammed on his arm.

_Damn, couldn't Ryo just tell him to go to his room or something?_

Unfortunately, one of the most important things Berkeley had learned from dating single parents was that he couldn't tell the other person how to treat their child. That almost always resulted in a one-way ticket out the door and out of the relationship.

"Just… Let me-" _Let me inside!_ "About tonight, I-" he began, but was cut off by Ryo's plea.

He stared at the detective, his chest twisting even more at the injured and confused look on the blonde's face. Had he made a mistake? Ryo truly seemed like he wanted… Maybe not the full extent of the attention the older male had given him, but he wanted and had returned the kisses… the touches…

Maybe… Maybe all wasn't lost…

So, being the man he was, there was only one thing he could do.

Berkeley swallowed. "Alright," he replied in the steadiest tone he could muster, his eyes immediately averting the other's beseeching, dark eyes. "I'm sorry if I-" His jaw clenched momentarily and he looked back at the detective. "Ryo, I truly-"

Ryo shook his head when Berkeley began apologizing. Whatever had happened was his fault as well and the blonde's mind had been running in circles trying to make sense of it. Berkeley was only the second guy he had ever kissed, Dee being the first…

Dread once again enveloped his heart with its icy hand as the brunette infiltrated his mind yet again. For a split second, all he could see was those emerald green eyes, staring at him with the same betrayal Berkeley had just moments before…

Maybe he should go back to see Jim before the bar closed…

Mentally shaking his head, he focused back on the older male as he seemed to get more serious. Just seconds after locking eyes with him did Bikky decide enough was enough.

"RYO!" he exclaimed, shoving all his weight against the door and finally managing to close it a few more centimeters as he launched headlong into another attack on lecturing him about the perverts he apparently works with. The blonde didn't hear him, however, and turned his sheepish gaze back to the slowly recovering male on the other side of his door.

"I'm sorry, I… I'll…" He couldn't really find the words he wanted to say, fumbling in his mess of a vocabulary in a sorry attempt at coming up with the right words.

Berkeley closed his eyes at the sudden shriek from the other side of the door, trying his best to control his irritability. He so desperately wanted to howl back at the little punk. Silently, he counted from one to ten, but was unable to pass six before his mouth snapped open, though not to yell at Bikky.

"I'll see you at work," he said, finishing Ryo's sentence for him, even though he really had no idea what the other was going to say. It seemed like the safer option than trying to continue a conversation with him in the hallway.

Although his partner would be at the precinct as well… He would have to find some way to work around that.

Ryo was unaware of it, but Berkeley had Ryo's numbers stored into his phone. He even had a decent bit of the detective's personal information saved into his PDA, but then again, he had nearly everyone's basic info saved into the device as well. He could call Ryo after he left, but… The other male wouldn't be expecting the call at all and might even become defensive…

Mentally, he shook his head. Maybe they both needed some time to think, even though the last thing he wanted to do was walk away from Ryo…

"Alright…?" Berkeley added, a slightly hopeful look in his now murky grey eyes.

Ryo flinched as Berkeley ended his sentence for him, not expecting the slight snap in his voice. Even Bikky finally grew silent as he realized the man was leaving and opted instead for glaring at Ryo in hopes of getting him to end the conversation sooner.

"Yeah..." he said, a slight waver in his voice as he tried to ignore the angry look in his boss's face. Regardless of what had just happened, Berkeley was his superior officer and shit had just gone down... a whole lot of shit...

Ryo nodded and tried to muster a convincing smile. "I'll see you at work," he repeated, knowing the statement couldn't possibly be a lie because, well... they worked together, in the same department no less. If they didn't see one another at work, then it might have eventually raised an alarm for one of the two being kidnapped, or worse. So, of course, seeing one another at work wasn't a promise for anything...

"We'll figure it out there," he tacked on, not entirely sure how that was going to work out, considering it was the precinct and his entire division would begin pestering him forever if they even so much as got a hint as to what had happened tonight.

Berkeley nodded and had to force himself to take a step back from the door, his eyes still locked onto Ryo's. He didn't want to leave- really, really didn't want to leave-, but what else could he do? Another second ticked by before he nodded at the younger male and walked away.

He didn't know what else to say, not with the evening ending like this. He couldn't even muster a "good night" or some other mundane parting. He didn't even realize that, until he had taken several more steps, that he was holding his breath again.

_Damn, what is wrong with me?_

Of course, he knew the answer to that. It was obvious, after all…

~.~.~.~.~

Another painful hand clenched down tightly around Ryo's heart as Berkeley walked away, and after a second or two, he shut the door properly, still not having realized the chain was in place. Bikky stood off to the side, finally, with his hands crossed over his chest as he glared daggers up at Ryo.

The blonde looked sheepishly down at Bikky and had to stop himself from flinching again when the boy exploded.

"Ryo, what do you think you're doing? Don't you know that man could have all sorts of diseases and viruses and God knows what else? Hell, he sure looked like he would! He's almost as bad as that ape Dee, except I'm _positive_ that guy has something contagious…" Bikky unfolded his arms, still glaring up at him, but now not as much as before. "I swear, I'm going to protect you from all these perverts, Ryo."

Despite the circumstances, Ryo smiled down at Bikky and ruffled his hair. He wouldn't admit it, but he was glad the boy had interrupted when he had. If things had progressed any further than that… he didn't know what he would do. "Thanks, Bikky…" he said then crossed his own arms. He stared down hard at his son, causing the boy to gulp. "However, just because you can kick Dee in the face and get away with it doesn't mean you can kick just anyone in the face. Especially not someone with glasses, do you hear me? Whatever the price of his glasses is going to be is coming out of your allowance."

"WHAT!" Bikky screeched, sending a sharp wave of pain into Ryo's already pounding head. "No fair!" he continued, pouting angrily. "All I did was save you from the creep!"

"And I thank you, but that's still not acceptable!"

The argument lasted a little under ten minutes. By the time Bikky had finally agreed on his punishment and shown Ryo he had finished his homework, the blonde needed that cup of coffee like he needed to breathe.

Only there wasn't any coffee in the apartment.

Ryo leaned heavily against the counter, his lips throbbing in time with his head. No matter what he did, he couldn't get the kiss, the touch, the heat, out of his mind… He shook his head vehemently against the memory, forcing his heart to slow down again… and had to remind himself that was a bad idea with a headache.

_I should have gotten coffee_… he chided himself, running a hand through his already mussed hair. The dirty blonde locks felt stiff, as if his tension and stress from the night had coated each strand, but at that second, he didn't care.

Every cabinet was opened and every drawer pulled, but still no coffee. Ryo straightened and slammed the last door shut, and Bikky looked up from the television. Even though Ryo had threatened to ground the boy, he couldn't bring himself to do both that and dock his allowance.

"I'm going to the store," Ryo announced, grabbing for his jacket and keys. "We're out of coffee."

"At…" Bikky glanced at the wall clock. "10:34 at night…?" he asked tentatively, trying not to do anything that would make Ryo change his mind about grounding him.

Ryo answered his question with a sharp nod as he passed the couch. Stopping short, he managed to catch a glimpse of himself in one of the rare mirrors hung around the apartment and he realized just what a mess he looked like. His tie was askew and his jacket slumped off one shoulder lazily, the tidy shirt he wore under it now crumpled and creased beyond simple straightening. He would need to iron it out…

Swiveling, he stalked into his room and changed into blue jeans, a simple white polo, a dull blue jacket and sneakers. When he returned to the living room, he didn't so much look like the drunken fool he had seen in the mirror gazing back at him just moments before.

"I'll be back in 20 minutes, don't-" he started as he yanked on the door... only to be met with the same resistance he had felt when trying to open the door earlier. Confused, he looked at the lock. Bikky appeared next to him, trying desperately not to grin as he pointed at the chain.

It all made perfect sense now as Ryo noticed the screws were coming loose from the wall-end of said chain. He had to stare at it a moment before he was finally able to undo the simple lock and exit into the hallway.

"Don't open the door for anyone," Ryo finished and Bikky waved before closing and locking the door.

Walking up to the elevator, Ryo's breath caught in his throat as he reached for the button, half expecting that when the doors opened, they would reveal Berkeley's pain stricken face… or worse, Dee's…

After another two minutes of hesitation, Ryo licked his lips in an attempt to stop their tingling, and finally gave up- opting instead to take the stairs.


	7. Chapter 7: Unexpected Guests

**A/N:** Oh my god, this chapter was so long. Anyway, enjoy! Just one more chapter to go! I'll get posted sometime tomorrow. I know there wasn't much that went on with Berkeley this fic, but there is one in the making with a little M rating to it!

* * *

><p><strong><span>Midnight at the Precinct<span>**  
><em>Chapter 7: Unexpected Guests<em>

Dee hummed to himself as he strolled down the sidewalk toward his partner's apartment. For having to work three hours longer than his scheduled shift end, without Ryo there to help him no less, he was in a pretty decent mood. Of course, considering his destination, how could he not be in a good mood?

He was careful not to jostle the bags he carried in each hand when he shoved his way inside Ryo's building. There was no way he wanted to risk letting any of the sauce from the three orders of Chinese food slosh onto the paper bag and get onto his clothes. Sure, the food smelled nice now, but later on, it wouldn't smell good- or feel good- if it spilled on his clothes.

_Ryo better be happy_, he thought to himself as he headed toward the elevator. He had no idea whether or not his partner had cooked dinner already- although he probably had, considering he didn't have work and it was already so late-, but he came bearing food for everyone, including Bikky, though he had a time remembering what the little punk liked. He settled with sesame chicken, figuring it was a common enough dish that Bikky wouldn't complain.

Almost to Ryo's unit, Dee heard the crunch before actually realizing that he felt something odd underfoot. Pausing, he turned to stare back at the ugly-patterned carpet and saw a piece of what appeared to be glass or plastic in the middle of the floor. He quirked an eyebrow at the object then shrugged, too concerned with seeing Ryo and food to care about a piece of debris from who knew what in the hallway.

After juggling the food in his arms as carefully as he could, he knocked on the door and waited for either his partner or the apartment monkey to answer. He hoped it would be Ryo, but he knew his luck and waited for Bikky to get off the couch.

Hearing the knock, Bikky looked up from the couch. He remembered Ryo's words of not answering the door, but…

"Who is it?" he called, standing next to the door on his tip toes to try to look out the peep hole. Unsuccessful, he opted instead for leaning an ear against the wood as he waited for an answer.

"Who do you think it is?" Dee replied, grunting lightly as he readjusted the bags back to their previous, safer position. "Hurry up and open the door."

"Sorry, Ryo said not to open the door for anyone," Bikky snickered, always loving when he had Dee locked out of the apartment. He leaned against the door, putting his hands behind his head as he got comfortable.

Knowing Dee, he would be forced to stand here for awhile listening to all his lame excuses as to why he should open the door.

Dee made a face and glared at the peep hole, even though he knew the kid was too short to actually look through it.

"Dude, I have food. Open the door," he tried again, not in the mood to deal with Bikky's childish antics.

Bikky's ears perked at the mention of food, even though he had eaten less than a few hours ago... His stomach gurgled. He looked down at it as if it were the reason he was going to go against Ryo and let Dee into the apartment.

With a sigh of defeat- and hunger-, Bikky undid the locks and stepped back as he opened the door. Despite the look he gave the detective, it was obvious he was excited about the food.

"What'd you bring?" he asked, instantly switching from bratty mode to normal kid mode as he reached out his hands, offering to take some of the bags from him.

"Chinese, and be careful," Dee replied as he carefully held out the lighter bag for the tween. "The place where I went has some seriously good chow, but they can't package their food for shit."

He knew Ryo would have a fit if they got anything on his floor and he didn't want to do anything to irritate his partner. Not right now anyway, after the almost week of them getting back into their normal swing of things. If they were back at his place, he wouldn't care that much, but he'd still threaten to make Bikky lick whatever spilled off the floor.

Taking the offered bag, Bikky held it carefully, feeling the contents shift precariously as he made his way to the kitchen.

"Got it," he said en-route. "What kind of food did you get?" he asked as he set the bag down on the counter. The smell wafting out of the bag made his insides reach out and he swore he was being pulled towards whatever could possibly be contained within.

"I got Kung-Pao beef for Ryo, beef and broccoli for me-" minus the broccoli and extra beef, as usual- "and sesame chicken for you," Dee told him as he set his bag on the counter as well. "And soup and egg rolls," he added, his hand wiping against some of the sauce that had spilled on the inside of the bag as he began to pull the items out. Grabbing a handful of napkins that had been stuffed inside the bag, he began to wipe the sticky substance off his hand.

Looking up from his stash, he noted that he hadn't heard anything from Ryo since he had entered. Maybe he was in the shower or too busy with casework to notice that he had arrived.

"Where's Ryo?" he asked, tossing the wad of napkins onto the counter before continuing to pull the remainder of containers out of the bag.

Bikky's mouth watered slightly at the mention of the sesame chicken. Sometimes, just sometimes, the old fart knew what to do right. This was one of those extremely rare times. He just hoped the food didn't get contaminated with any of his infections or whatever that sticky stuff was he was wiping off his hand…

Pulling himself away from the holy paper bags of food, Bikky made his way back over to the couch and jumped over the backside of it, staring back at the television.

"Ryo should be back soon. He went to the store. Said he needed coffee after I caught him smooching some really old guy with glass-"

The sound of a kitchen drawer slamming violently echoed throughout the apartment, the force of it sending some of the silverware flying behind the drawer and clatter down into the cabinet underneath. Before Bikky could even turn around, Dee was there, standing several feet behind the couch with a look of restrained rage on his face.

"Ryo was doing _what_?" he asked, his voice several octaves lower than normal as his dark aura began to brew and billow out from him, descending into the room before him. Green eyes stared down at the boy with murderous intent, his entire body coiled, ready to snap at any moment.

The drawer slamming cut Bikky off and he looked over his shoulder for a second before drawing his attention back in front of him. The fact Dee was behind him did nothing to warrant turning around and therefore he didn't see the homicidal expression on Dee's face. He crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and nodded.

"Well, Ryo went out to some stupid business meeting I couldn't go to- not that I wanted to, because the guy looked really boring. Then when they got back, I heard a thump on the wall outside and caught that same boring old guy with glasses pinning my Ryo against a wall. I even think he had his hand up his shirt! It was so gross!" Bikky explained nonchalantly, the consequences of his actions not even flitting into his consciousness for a second. "God, all these damn perverts after Ryo… I swear-"

"_GODDAAAAAMNIT_!"

The booming voice resonated throughout the apartment, perhaps even throughout most of the floor of the building. Those who knew the owner of the voice prepared themselves for the violence that ensued and ticked off another day on their calendar of how many more days they had until their lease ended. Across the hall, Rob groaned in frustration, rose from his recliner, and went to his emergency stash hiding deep inside his cabinets, knowing he'd need to drink if he wanted to survive the night.

What happened next was the result of a volcanic eruption of pure adrenaline: grabbing the arm of the couch that Bikky was still perched on, the dark-haired detective easily flipped the possibly two-hundred pound piece of furniture with ease, the huge hunk of blue soaring through the air to land upside down on Ryo's coffee table.

Bikky leapt off the couch while it was in midair, landing easily in front of the television, his arms outstretched to protect the electronic box from the destruction that happened to relieve him of his rather comfortable position.

"DEE, WHAT THE HELL?" he added to the noise, his blue eyes bright with both surprise and irritation. He had lived with Ryo long enough to pick up a few of his habits and not flipping furniture happened to be one of them.

Ignoring Bikky's shrieks, Dee continued his rampage. He yelled and screamed and cursed and broke several more things inside Ryo's apartment, not giving one single damn whether it would piss off his partner or not. There was only one thing on Dee's mind at that moment and it was to take his anger out on as many things as possible until his partner returned so he wouldn't immediately choke the life out of him.

"THAT FUCKING SONNOVA-"

Picking up a coffee mug that Bikky had been using as a cup for soda earlier, Dee chucked it against the wall next to the front door. The cup shattered, the image of Snoopy napping atop his doghouse exploding into dust.

-"_BITCH_!"

~.~.~.~.~

Ryo sighed as he made his way back upstairs, unintentionally taking the stairs without even realizing it. The trek to the store had really helped sober him up and some of the guilt had dissipated in the cool night air. Of course, a few leaves off a full grown tree aren't usually noticed in a flourishing forest of remorse.

It wasn't as if Ryo regretted what had happened, but… he regretted what had happened. Every ounce of his soul tore at him with the thought of his partner. Sure, he knew he cared for the brunette… but damn, he didn't realize just how far down he was in this hole he had dug himself.

A plastic bag hung limply from his hand as he fumbled for his keys, his precious coffee nestled safely within its thin walls. Ryo actually had to convince himself not to attempt eating the grounds as soon as he had bought the container and he had double-timed it back to his apartment so he could get the coffee machine working just that much faster.

Images of Dee and Berkeley tumbled into his mind, one after the other, always ending on Dee. Ryo's stomach churned angrily and he was concentrating on if he had a fever or not when he finally opened the door…

…and was met with an exploding mug.

A shard hit him in the face, drawing him instantly out of his trance and straight into the shock of what his apartment looked like. The bag dropped to the floor as he took in the sight. His couch, his coffee table, was that the remains of his plant? The only thing that appeared untouched was the television and that was probably because Bikky guarded it as if his life depended on it.

"Ryo!" the boy said, spotting his guardian and half ran, half appeared next to him as he pointed frantically at the insane maniac that happened to be demolishing his home. "Dee's lost it! He's gone completely bat-shit crazy!" he said quickly. But regardless of all the devastation and tornado-like destruction, the worst of it all was who was standing in his living room.

Ryo's nightmare was becoming a reality.

It took Dee several moments to realize that he was no longer alone in the apartment, his mind having blocked out the idea of the young boy soon after his tirade began. His skin prickled and his feet rooted themselves to the floor as he slowly turned to face the blonde. Bikky was still nowhere in his line of sight even though he was standing right next Ryo.

Dee's usually bright eyes had darkened to a murky forest green, almost melting against his extremely contracted pupils. His once semi-orderly hair was mussed and hung in front of his eyes and his jacket crooked, threatening to slide off his right shoulder. Fists balled themselves at his sides, and his knuckles were a ghostly shade of white as bones forced against the usually tanned skin.

A couple seconds ticked by before he tore his feet from the floor and even though Dee was deaf to the rest of the world, he could have sworn he heard the muscles of his calves snapping at the action. He crossed the room, his eyes narrowed on Ryo's face, though his brain didn't register whatever expression the other male wore, and before he knew it, his fist was balled in his partner's shirt and yanking him several steps inside the apartment.

"_You_." Dee might as well have spat acid into the other's face with as much loathing that one utterance held. His eyes darkened even further. It was all he could do not to raise his other fist and-

Ryo felt his skin crawl as Dee approached, and he had to resist the urge to take a step back into the hallway. The aura that emanated from the brunette enveloped him, and Ryo felt his body grow weak from how angry his partner was.

For the second time that night, the blonde was grabbed and dragged into his own apartment.

"D-Dee?" Ryo coughed out, finally finding his voice. Dee's face was just inches from his own, but there was none of the regular tenderness in the hard, clenched angles of his cheeks and straight lips that Ryo had grown so accustomed to. A shiver passed down Ryo's spine as the shock wore off and reality came crashing back down upon his shoulders.

The pain, the anguish, the guilt, remorse, regret, and conflict melted from Ryo's face as he forced himself to focus on what was going on. But even so… he couldn't purge the raw lamentation from his glistening eyes.

"Dee, what the hell are you doing?" he exclaimed, grabbing a hold of the hand that held his shirt with his own. Despite the anger he was trying to grasp onto, Ryo couldn't ignore the electric spark that shocked him as he felt the heated skin of Dee's hand.

Even though he wanted to keep yelling at him, Ryo couldn't find the words… even though half his apartment had been destroyed, part of him felt he deserved it…

Which just made his stress induced sickness even worse…

Dee barely registered the touch of the other's hand. His eyes remained locked onto Ryo's, blind and deaf to everything else around him. Despite all the screaming that he had been doing previously, his voice was lost to him, his mind too clouded with anger to speak.

His fingers twitched with restraint as he finally reached up with his other hand and, almost as if it were a last second decision, instead grabbed Ryo's shirt as well. Both hands shook now as he held the blonde with an iron grip and finally, for the first time since hearing the news, a different emotion sparked across Dee's visage, almost completely lost to the rage that overwhelmed him but still very there.

"Why?" he finally managed, his voice still venomous despite the deep ache that managed to slip out as he spoke. The pain continued to carve a jagged wound inside his chest and his hands trembled worse, only vaguely aware that he could feel his fingernails digging into his palms through the fabric of Ryo's shirt. "_Why_!"

Ryo flinched as Dee screamed at him, and Bikky made a move to step in to help. Once he felt the boy's hands on his limp arm, he finally remembered he was there and reached into his pocket, pulling out his wallet and handing it to him.

"Bikky," he said as calmly as he could muster, but his voice still wavered. "Go to the store. Get whatever you want. Don't take the back streets and take my phone," he instructed, pulling out the cell and shoving it at him as well.

Bikky bristled and started to say something, but Ryo held up a hand in warning.

"Please…" he added, still not having turned away from Dee. After a few moments of hesitation, Bikky finally turned away, cursed angrily, and left the apartment. The resonating slam of the door emphasized his disapproval of what had happened.

With Bikky finally gone…

"Dee, I…" he started, his voice cracking. His heart was too big to fit in his throat and Ryo felt like he couldn't breathe around it. Swallowing, he slumped a bit in complete in utter defeat. His legs felt weak, and if Dee wasn't gripping onto his shirt, Ryo swore he would have fallen to the ground by now. "We went to Jim's and I had a few drinks… I was coming back upstairs to make coffee, but…" he tried to explain, not even sure himself what exactly had happened.

His free hand came up and gripped at Dee's other hand, and as his fingers curled around his partner's, he realized he had been trembling.

"Dee, please, I…"

A tiny bit of anger subsided at the look in his partner's eyes and his obviously weakened state. Dee still gripped the other's shirt, part of his mind aware that he was helping hold the blonde up.

The way Ryo was acting seemed...

Maybe he was acting too-

No.

He had every right to be angry, especially after the week of hell he had gone through, angry and terrified that he had lost the person who mattered most to him.

"Bikky said you were kissing him." His voice was full of conviction. There was no questioning or doubt in the phrase. Still, he had to ask: "Did he kiss you or did you kiss him?"

Ryo shook his head, an internal battle waging about the events that had taken place. His mind was fuzzy, and to be honest... he couldn't even really remember what had happened after Berkeley had kissed him up until Bikky opened the door.

"He... He kissed me... I didn't..." _didn't mean to kiss back..._ he trailed off, hoping his answer would be enough and Dee wouldn't push it. Everything ached and Ryo felt his chest burning as his heart scorched a hole through to his soul.

"I told you, I... I had too much to drink... Dee, you... you know I can't handle alcohol. I didn't... I didn't know what to do..." he admitted, knowing now that he really hadn't. Before he had gotten to the 27th Precinct, the last time he had dated anyone was a girl named Laura he had met working a case.

Four years before being transferred.

To say he was rusty at reading the signs was an understatement…

How could he have been so naïve, asking a person he had just shared dinner with back into his home for a drink? That was the most textbook invitation in the manual.

At the hesitancy of Ryo's words and the answer that he gave, Dee loosened his grip slightly on his partner's shirt. Relief began to pool in his chest, sliding down to his stomach and slowly cooling off the smoldering feeling that radiated within him. It was frustrating almost, how he couldn't manage to stay completely irate with his partner, and though the anger was still there, it was now directed mostly at a different source.

So it was the commissioner…

"_I am going to kill that motherfucker_!" Dee growled as his fingers untangled themselves from the now wrinkled fabric, his body twisting toward the door as newfound rage surged throughout him. The thought that he didn't even know where Berkeley was or where he lived didn't even cross his mind. All he could think about was beating the ever-living crap out of the bastard for touching his Ryo.

Kissing him…

That dick was _so_ dead.

"Dee!" Ryo's legs gave out under him as Dee released him, but the weight of what the brunette was about to go do sent him flying to the door. Thankfully, all he really had to do was back up a bit and he stationed himself in front of the entrance much in the same fashion Bikky had earlier.

Really, the fruit didn't fall far from the tree…

… or at least in some, very select, instances.

He shook his head furiously, as if that would help change his partner's mind. "No, Dee! You can't just go kill the commissioner!"

"Well fine! I'll just beat the shit out of him then! That'll show him!" Dee yelled, his brain still on auto-pilot. He grabbed at his partner once again, trying to remove him from in front of the door. "Now get out of my way!"

Ryo's hand clamped down over Dee's in some small hope he would be able to pull him back into the apartment should he manage to get to the door.

"Bikky already did!" he exclaimed, pushing himself even harder against the door and fumbling with his other hand for the lock. "When he came into the hallway, he kicked him the face and broke his glasses!"

That was enough to stop Dee in his tracks. He blinked and turned an incredulous stare to Ryo, his mind trying to process what his partner had said and add a bit of cinema to it as well. Bikky kicked Berkeley in the face? Wow, that kid really could jump-

He paused as the memory of the hallways shot into the forefronts of his mind. That meant that thing he had stepped on was a piece of the commissioner's glasses…

A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth before Dee even realized it. He hung his head as his tense muscles continued to uncoil and he too became slightly unsteady on his feet.

"Heh…"

The small laugh eased Ryo's strain slightly and he stopped pushing himself as forcefully against the door. The hand that had latched onto his partner's loosened as well, but he refused to pull away. His legs were growing shaky again, now that the adrenaline pumping through his veins was subsiding, and he glanced to his overturned couch.

A heartstring pulled unintentionally as he realized he would need to replace almost everything in his living room as a result of Dee's rampage…

That and there was absolutely nowhere to sit…

"So, don't… do anything unnecessary, okay…?" he said, looking back at the mess of brown hair that happened to be in front of his face. With a sigh, he finally found the lock and made sure to click it into place. "Bikky already took care of it and I'm sure I'll have a report to write about harassment tomorrow…"

Dee nodded, letting the other's words seep into his head. It also took a bit of convincing on his own part not to continue tugging Ryo out of the way, but then the click of the lock banished the rest of the will to shove past the other man, his shoulders slumping slightly in resignation.

"Fine…" he said with a sigh and pushed himself away from Ryo. He couldn't bring himself to look at the blonde right then, even though he had been previously glaring daggers at him. Guilt finally decided to take place of the anger that previously ran through him, first tearing at his chest before slowly starting to spread. He had gone too far. He probably scared Ryo shitless or something. He wasn't sure, but he didn't want to look him in the eye to find out.

Taking several steps away from his partner, Dee surveyed the living room with a thin-lipped frown. He really had torn the place apart, he noted, his teeth threatening to chew on his bottom lip. With a deep intake of breath, he started toward the overturned the sofa.

"Sorry about making such a mess of things," he muttered, glancing over his shoulder for a split second before turning back to his task.

The younger male maneuvered the sofa off of the table, which took a bit of effort now that his adrenaline was shot, and began to put it back into its proper place. There was no way he was going to ask for help, considering he made the mess himself. He winced a little when he saw that the tabletop was cracked slightly and wondered if a bit of glue and paint could fix it right up. Yeah, he could totally do that…

With Dee walking away from him, Ryo felt the support that was keeping him upright slipping from his marrow. He had to start walking, to start moving, or else he was going to fall over. Even so, it took him a few seconds to muster the strength to push himself off the door and stagger deeper into the apartment. His heart still pounded against his chest, drumming his remorse into his veins.

_Coffee…_

"Its fine…" he managed, surprising himself by recognizing his voice. He was sure it would sound cracked and hoarse after all the stress he had just endured. "Just be sure to… to make sure everything gets fixed or it's coming out of your paycheck…" he added absentmindedly, forcing himself to wander to the kitchen.

Blinking, he looked around for the plastic bag that held his prize from the grocery store… All he saw were two very suspicious looking paper ones and his chest squeezed again as he realized Dee had brought over dinner.

A dizzying sway slammed against him and the blonde had to reach out for the counter to steady himself.

_Coffee…_ he thought again, pinching his eyebrows together as he tried to remember what he had done with the bag. Looking down at his hand, he realized he hadn't even brought it into the apartment. When the mug had crashed against the wall near the door, he had dropped it…

Returning to the door, he expected to see it rolled to the side, but when he was met with nothing but broken ceramic, he knew there was only one place it could be. He watched Dee struggle with the couch a bit more before quickly opening the door, grabbing the bag that had haphazardly been left outside, and locked it again before Dee could get any more ideas of murdering Berkeley. Having to stop Dee from killing Lloyd back when the orphanage was bombed was bad enough… and Ryo did not want a repeat of that scenario.

Once the couch had been righted, Dee continued around the rest of the living room, making sure everything else was back into place. He ignored the dent in the wall nearby the window, wondering how long it would take the blonde to notice it. It wasn't a large impression, and even though he couldn't remember how it even got there in the first place, he knew that he was the one who made it.

Once everything was back in place, he grabbed the broom and dustpan from the kitchen and swept up the explosion that used to be the coffee mug. A frown settled back on his face as he returned to the kitchen and dumped the shards and dust into the trash can, still avoiding eye-contact with the blonde, then started back toward the living room.

"Hey," Ryo said quietly as Dee came into the kitchen to put the broom away, barely audible over the hum and drip of the coffee machine. He wanted to thank him for bringing over food, for being so considerate… Dee was always considerate. Maybe not about when and where he's decided to be a horny bastard, but he was most definitely considerate about the things that mattered.

Dee paused as he heard the other's voice, staring blankly ahead for several seconds then turning toward the voice's owner. He watched Ryo as the blonde stared at the slowly draining coffee maker, waiting for him to say something, and when he didn't, he prodded. "Hm?"

The blonde kept his eyes trained on the dark liquid that dripped much too slowly into the coffee pot. "Do you want coffee…?" he finally decided upon, mentally sighing for not being able to get anything else out other than that.

There was silence for a couple seconds afterward before Ryo responded and Dee felt his chest cave in slightly."I'm good," he replied, his voice sounding a bit sullen. The smell of the Chinese food battled with the scent of freshly brewed coffee, but Dee wasn't in the mood for either. Even though his stomach grumbled on the way to Ryo's apartment, it was silent now, which suited him just fine. He'd eat it later. Or at least put it away.

Without another word, the brunette walked back into the living room and stared at the couch. The hunk of furniture didn't feel broken when he moved it back, but he still felt bad for flipping it. It would certainly cost a pretty penny to replace and all of his pennies were pretty ugly.

With a sigh, he slumped down into the floor in front of the couch, leaning his head back against the cushion and closing his eyes. The coffee continued to drip in the kitchen, accompanied by the sounds of Ryo shuffling around. He wondered vaguely what the other was doing, if he was going to come back into the living room or continue to mope in the kitchen.

_Damnit_, he silently cursed. He knew he could be a dick at times, but tonight he felt like it was justified. Ryo had been out with Berkeley, doing God knows what, and then the fucker had the audacity to… to kiss him! _Again_! Didn't he learn his lesson when Ryo punched him in the face? _Apparently not_, he told himself with a scowl. He just hoped that Bikky's kick finally managed to do the job, otherwise it would be his own foot next time, and it wouldn't be the commissioner's face he'd be aiming for.

Ryo turned as Dee left the kitchen, staring at his back as he went before he vanished in front of the couch. Judging by the fact he couldn't see his head, Ryo guessed he had chosen the floor. He closed his eyes and leaned heavily against the counter, the gurgle of the coffee maker nearing the end of its brew his only companion. After all they had been through, all that had happened and everything that was said…

And he went and messed it up with a simple dinner date…

But it wasn't that simple anymore… not after what had happened afterwards. Despite its unsanitary nature, Ryo set his forehead on the counter and tried to get the stinging scent of his tabletop disinfectant to clear his head even more.

_What's wrong with me…?_ he thought to himself as he pushed himself to his feet, swaying a bit before managing to successfully choose an intact mug from his cabinet and creamer from the fridge._ I didn't even think, I… _he shook his head, grabbing the coffee pot too soon, and a few drops of uncaught coffee hissed as they collided with the bottom of the maker. Who was he kidding…? Apparently not himself.

Ryo remained in the kitchen for a little bit longer, taking a few sips of straight coffee to accelerate its effect, but found that it was way too bitter for him to enjoy. He made a face at it and felt a little better.

It wasn't long after that he joined Dee in the living room, taking up a post on the couch near one of his pillows Dee had apparently replaced for him. He nursed a few more sips of coffee as he debated what to say.

And god, he wanted to say something… anything to make even one ounce of trouble he had caused go away…

By the time Ryo had meandered back into the living room, Dee had perched his left arm up on the couch in an attempt to get comfortable, a scowl having long settled on his face. He didn't look up as Ryo sat, though he did move his arm slightly toward himself. His ears prickled as he listened to the other move, drink his coffee, and for the most part be as quiet as he could.

After a couple minutes, the brunette couldn't take it any longer. Rolling his head toward the older male, he opened his eyes and gave him an unamused stare.

"So why exactly did you go out to dinner with Berkeley?" he asked, trying to sound patient and attempting to understand exactly what had happened and failing miserably.

Ryo looked over at him and felt his forest green eyes searching his soul. He looked back down at his coffee, the second of eye contact being too much for him to handle right then. The mug warmed his hands as his finger traced the rim, its tip feeling damp from the remnants of when he had taken a sip.

_Why…?_ Why indeed… Why had he agreed to go out with the commissioner? He had refused once before and punched him in the face the second… so why now? Why today?

Ryo's eyebrow twitched slightly as he tried desperately to come up with an answer… and he was met with a blank vat of nothingness.

"I…" he started, swallowing once before looking back at his partner. His eyes swam with the uncertainty of someone who needed an answer… and didn't have one.

"I don't know…"

Even though it really wasn't the answer he was looking for, Dee still felt a bit of solace from it. He worried… Well, not so much worried as was irritable at the idea that Ryo could have said much worse, like he had wanted to go, or simply because the commissioner had asked and he couldn't decline.

He looked away again, a tick forming in his jaw as he continued to think about it. Ryo definitely could have said much worse, and yet, the hesitancy in the phrase caused a dull pain to ache in his chest. If Ryo was unsure over that, maybe he was unsure over other matters that had to do with the commissioner…

"I bought some Chinese," he said suddenly in an effort to try to make up for his early savagery and to fill in the silence between them. But then again, of course Ryo knew about the food. It was still sitting on the counter after all, getting cold, and hopefully not attracting any unwanted pests. His statement sounded dumb to his ears pretty much the instant it fell from his lips.

Ryo smiled slightly, even though Dee had averted his gaze once again. Despite the severity of the situation, Dee was still... Well, he was still Dee. Again Ryo pictured the bags and boxes on the counter and knew there was more there than for just the two of them. Dee had obviously gotten Bikky's dinner as well and the blonde couldn't help but once again understand just how nice and considerate Dee was. He must have the best partner in the state of New York...

A flush tinted his cheeks as he thought about it and he stared back down at his now cooling coffee.

"I saw. Thank you..." he answered after a few seconds. He shifted on the couch, feeling the plush pillow conform to his body and allow him to get a bit more comfortable. Still, his back felt tense and his muscles sore... The only thing centering him to the couch was the heat of the mug in his cold hands.

Dee continued to frown, though how the expression shifted toward a sulkier one. After several seconds, he muttered, mostly to himself, "Not that it matters. You already ate. Hell, you probably went to some fancy restaurant too." His bottom lip poked out but he realized what it had done and he drew it back. Even though he knew he was pouting, he refused to look childish doing so.

The sentence stabbed Ryo hard as he remembered the exquisite dinner... His eyes flicked towards Dee in time to catch the last edge of his lip retreating into a frown. Again he traced the mug, the action turning into something of a habit tonight. He really should have thought things through first... and of course this had to happen now, now when he's finally starting to realize his feelings for his partner...

Dee shifted back toward glowering, now irritated with himself, the commissioner, and his poor excuse of a bank account. There was no way he could afford to take Ryo to a fancy restaurant, not with how he dealt with his expenses. Some days he was lucky to have enough money to buy lunch and a pack of cigarettes. Then here was Ryo, living in a much larger, much nicer place than he was, with newer, better furniture. Well, it was better, he thought with a wince as he remembered his rampage from earlier.

Still, his eyes glimmered with jealousy. He didn't want to think about the possibility that Ryo might think better of the commissioner than him… or might… like him better…

Again Ryo turned towards him and he couldn't help but think about just how much Berkeley reminded him of Dee. Thinking back, he realized that that was what had happened back in England. Looking down at Berkeley from the balcony of his room, he had been captivated by his hazel eyes in exactly the same way he had when Dee first told him he was going to use his Japanese name that first day at the precinct.

_Those two are exactly alike... _he thought to himself, gazing at Dee's mussed hair and unamused glare. _Their gazes, their attitudes... Even down to the little things they do. Slight changes in their expression... it's all so similar... _That was probably why he had agreed to go out with the older male. Because he had reminded him of Dee... an older, much more mature Dee...

A sour feeling spoiled his stomach at the 'mature' bit. At least he had thought he was more mature... Ryo pressed the rim of the coffee mug to his lips and they tingled slightly as the heat warmed memories both new and old.

_But wait..._

"Dee...?" he asked tentatively, leaning forward a bit to place his mug carefully on the cracked table in front of them.

"What?" Dee replied, his voice still slightly tinged with irritation.

"Would you mind kissing me for a second?"

He turned to look up at his partner, expecting something… something other than the out-of-the-blue request. Green eyes stared up at the blonde, dumbstruck at Ryo's question, but that didn't last long. In an instant, all his previous grumblings and ill feelings were banished to the deep, dark depths of his subconscious in favor of the enthusiasm that shot through him.

"OH, HELL YEAH!" In an instant, he had bolted from the floor and was on the couch next to Ryo, his green eyes wide as he grinned from ear to ear. "YOU REALLY MEAN IT?"

"Hold on!" Ryo said quickly, suddenly thinking that this might not have been the best idea for the time being. _How'd he even get up here so quickly...?_ he wondered, feeling a bead of sweat threaten to drip down the side of his face.

But Dee seemed to have temporarily forgotten the previous situation... so... "Before you get any ideas. Don't start slurping all over my face, okay? Just give me a small peck," he explained, hopefully halting any extremely perverted thoughts that had stationed themselves at the forefront of Dee's mind.

"Aw, man, what?" Dee complained, slumping forward on the couch. "Boo- no! Double boo!" he added as his brows furrowed and he continued his adolescent act.

Well, it wasn't actually an act. When Ryo asked for the kiss, he didn't think it would have been some, teeny-tiny kiss. That was just plain boring and way less than satisfying.

Not to mention he wanted to show up that rat bastard Berkeley. Whatever happened in the hallway, he wanted to erase it from Ryo's mouth and the best way to do that was to smooch the heck out of the blonde.

Ryo felt a vein throb in his forehead, and he glared at the brunette who had gone from one extreme emotion to two more in less than a few seconds. Really...

"I'm being serious, Dee," he said, trying to force as much conviction into his voice as he possibly could. "And if you decide to spice it up, I swear, I won't talk to you for at least a year!" he mentally kicked himself for sounding so juvenile. _I really shouldn't have said anything..._ he thought to himself again. "So watch it!" he added for good measure. He leaned forward a bit, ready to get up if Dee wanted to try and pounce him. _Not today..._ Ryo inwardly promised._ Not again._

Dee narrowed his eyes, giving his partner a slightly put-off stare. "Dude, what are we? In kindergarten?" he asked, part of him enjoying the tables being turned. Ryo could be such a pain when it came to stuff like this, the brunette mentally whined. "Can't we go for some massive face sucking? Pwease?"

Ryo mirrored Dee's stare, threatening him to go further than what he wanted to do.

"When I say something, I mean it, okay! Unlike someone I know…" he accused.

His fingers touched a seam in the couch, and Ryo realized he had been leaning forward more than he intended to. He caught a glimpse of his coffee on the table and vaguely wondered if the caffeine had only intoxicated him further…

After returning the stare for several more seconds, Dee sighed, his shoulders slumping a little.

"Okay, okay, fine," he conceded, trying not to look as disappointed as he felt. It wasn't as if it was their first kiss, so why was Ryo being so stubborn? But hey, he was getting a kiss. Granted, not the kind of kiss he wanted, but a kiss nonetheless. And a willing one at that, but still… "Just a peck then."

Ryo felt his heartstrings tug slightly as he realized he had gotten Dee to agree to what he wanted in what seemed to be record time._ I shouldn't have said anything at all… _he thought as he shifted back into a comfortable position on the couch.

"_Just _a peck…" he emphasized. _Ah… Why do I have __butterflies__ all of a sudden…?_ Wings battered a nervous rhythm against his stomach as he shifted a bit more, bringing his leg up to bend on the couch so he could face Dee properly.

The brunette shifted as well, leaning in toward Ryo. Oddly enough, he didn't have to exercise much self-control to keep from attacking the other with the kiss, other than making sure his hands remained unmoving in his lap. His own breath felt warm against his parted lips as he closed the distance between the two of them. Dark lashes fanned across his tanned cheeks a couple seconds before their lips met.

Just as he promised, it was just a simple kiss, but despite that, he felt the electric tingle of it all the way down to his fingertips. The tingle continued until it was a steady wave that lapped against him, dizzying almost. He felt his control starting to slip…

The fluttering in Ryo's stomach increased as he felt Dee's lips touch his own, softly embracing what had just so recently been bruised.

_Ah…_ he thought, keeping his eyes open for the first second or so. Dee looked so relaxed, despite the amount of restraint he was surely exercising at that exact moment. _Just as I thought…_ Ryo closed his eyes into the kiss, gently leaning forward just a little to return it.

_Dee's kiss is just…_

He felt Dee's hair tickle his forehead. His heart throbbed somewhere between his chest and his throat as he felt himself get lost in the sincerity he could feel radiating out from the brunette. He opened his eyes partly as he backed away, locking eyes with his partner. His heart let out an especially hard pang as he tore himself away from his gaze.

_Sweeter…_

"Uhm, well…" he started, blushing lightly around the corners of his eyes. _That was naughty of me… to compare them like that… _He remembered Berkeley's kiss, and while it had all the right feelings… there was just something that held so much more love when Dee kissed him. "Thanks…"

Their gazes connected for a moment as Ryo slowly pulled away from the kiss. The blonde was so close, his lips parted in such a way that there was no doubt in the younger detective's mind that Ryo's mouth tingled from the intimate moment just as much as his did. Dee's vision faded in and out even after Ryo tore his gaze away, need pouring into him… He couldn't resist it any longer…

It all happened in an instant. Dee was well aware of his actions, of the look in Ryo's eyes, of the energy that continued to build between them as he pushed the blonde against the couch and took over his lips in a forceful- no, not forceful- passionate kiss. He was met with the usual resistance, although this time it wasn't as strong. His left hand reached past Ryo to stabilize himself against the couch cushion, but was met with the pillow that he had previously placed there. Without a second thought, he grabbed the oversized thing and tugged it away. It was a good thing he did too, because it allowed him to press Ryo even further back against the couch.

"Wha-" Ryo yelped as he was jumped and part of him screamed that he should have expected this in the long run. He felt himself fall backwards on the couch, gravity working against him as Dee pressed himself even harder into the kiss. His hands grabbed at anything that they could and he tugged mercilessly at Dee's shirt. He struggled, as he always did, but being pinned beneath his partner did not help the situation at all.

In a rush, all the emotions Ryo had locked away from before flooded his system, but it felt tenfold stronger than when he was outside his apartment with the commissioner. It was probably the alcohol, making his body feel like this... but then again...

It might just be because it was Dee.

In a second, Ryo went from trying to pull Dee off him to just pulling his shirt. His fingers tangled in the loose material and his fingertips brushed against the exposed skin of his chest as he accepted the kiss. Dee's tongue had already invaded his mouth, Ryo didn't know when, but he opened it further anyway and allowed his own tongue to battle the younger, much more experienced one. He was almost instantly outdone and an electric tremor shook his mentality as he was overwhelmed with the amount of shear skill Dee had in kissing.

Dee didn't have to touch Ryo in any other way to get the response he wanted. Limbs brushed against one another and his right hand slinked under the blonde's arm, which was currently gripping his shirt for dear life, but other than that, the most intimate touching between the two of them was the overtaking of Ryo's trembling lips and tongue. Amongst all the heat building from the incredibly ardent kiss, the younger male felt the brush of cool air against his chest, but the feeling vanished almost as quickly as it came.

The kiss lasted for several moments longer before Dee finally released Ryo's lips, his tongue still peeking past his lips as he pulled away. A tiny chuckle flitted from his throat, and before he knew it, he was grinning down at the panting male.

"Man, we've come a long way if you're able to look and feel like that," he said, his grin widening. Ryo looking the way he did, cheeks flushed, chest rising and falling unevenly, his eyes clouded over... Damn, he just looked so delicious and now Dee was hungry for more than just kisses.

The mess of whatever was left of Ryo's innards churned with emotion as he looked up at Dee and the blonde couldn't help but honestly say Dee was, as he would put it, sexy. His hair fell in a mess across his forehead and framed his face in such a way that didn't even seem possible when he slicked it back. For what felt like forever, Ryo was captured in the burning forest of Dee's eyes. It was only after he opened his mouth did he focus on the reality of the situation—and Dee's predatory grin.

"What!" he exclaimed, pushing himself further back against the couch cushion in a sad attempt at getting away from the younger male. His fingers felt locked in the front of Dee's shirt and he tugged a little trying to get them undone.

~.~.~.~.~

Bikky licked at the ice cream cone as he stepped off the elevator and checked his pockets for Ryo's cell and wallet. _Damnit…_ he thought to himself as he made a face_. I wound up only buying this, even though he told me I could get whatever I wanted…_

He had spent twenty minutes at the gas station, staring at all the candy and cookies and junk food, and then at Ryo's wallet. If it had been Dee's money, hell, he would have spent it all in a heartbeat. He probably wouldn't have even made it to the gas station with anything left. But since it was Ryo's…

Another angry sigh escaped him as he unintentionally chomped down on the cold dessert, instantly freezing his teeth. "Owowowow!" he jumped, cursing the ice cream for being so cold. Even so, he couldn't stay angry with something so delicious and he grumbled as he returned to carefully licking it.

It wasn't long until he was standing outside the door of the apartment, fingering the cell phone in his pocket. Ryo said he would call… but it was late and he had school in the morning… and what if Dee had gone homicidal maniac on him? Or worse…

Images flashed into Bikky's mind, and he tore at his skull with the hand not holding the ice cream, mentally telling himself he would need to wash his brain out with bleach.

In one swift movement, he inserted his key, turned the handle, and kicked open the door.

"I'm HOME!" he exclaimed, holding the ice cream in one hand and his keys in the other.

The instant the door was kicked open, Dee's head jerked up and he stared at the over-enthusiastic runt that stood in the doorway. He didn't budge from his position on the couch however, even with Ryo pushing himself into the couch trying to get away from him.

"Ugh," was all he managed to say in voicing his irritation at being interrupted. Seriously, did the brat have a sex-ometer or something that told him whenever the two of them were about to get busy?

"Bikky?" Ryo looked towards the door, and instantly grew even more aware of his current position. But unlike with the commissioner, Ryo didn't feel 'caught', so to put it. _My savior…_ he thought as Bikky stared at him.

"BE GONE, VILE BEAST!" Bikky screamed and seemingly flew into the air, promptly settling his foot straight into Dee's face.

Dee turned and was going to block Bikky's attack, but everything happened so fast, there was nothing he could do to stop it. The tween's foot connected with his face, which sent the brunette slumping back against his partner in a haze of pain. He didn't have glasses to shield him from a majority of the force, unlike Bikky's earlier target, so he got the full power of the kick.

Blinking, Ryo couldn't even wrap his mind around what had just happened. Was that the same foot he had used to kick Berkeley?

"Dee!" Ryo exclaimed in surprise, mentally thanking Bikky for the help, but.. but still! "BIKKY! What were you thinking? I mean, I know it's Dee, but still! Didn't we have this conversation already?"

With his arms crossed, or with as best a crossing as he could manage with the ice cream, he turned to Ryo and looked just about ready to hit him too. Of course, there was no way he was going to do that... but still!

"And you!" he uncrossed his arms and pointed at the blonde with his dessert. "Didn't I tell you to be more careful?" he accused, which sent a bead of sweat down the side of Ryo's face.

Regardless of what he said, the kid was right. He not only should have expected this, but he should have prepared for it. Where was his gun, anyway? He didn't even bring it to dinner... That would have solved everything had he just threatened the perverted duo with his sidearm.

"W-Well, that-"

"And you said it was okay earlier!"

"WHAT?"

"Yeah!" Bikky crossed his arms again. "You said that I was allowed to kick Dee in the face, but not just anyone!" he countered and Ryo looked away as he remembered telling the boy that... "Anyway, here ya go!" Bikky changed the subject as he offered his ice cream cone to Ryo. "I saved you some!" he said, grinning, and Ryo couldn't help but not feel angry at Bikky for what he had done. After all, he had saved him from whatever Dee was planning on doing, had he not come home when he did...

Blinking, Ryo realized that Dee hadn't moved yet.

"De-"

But Dee was up in an instant, enraged and screaming. "THAT'S IT, MONKEY BOY!" Bikky's footprint remained on his face, part of an "I" and a "K" from the bottom of the shoe imprinted next to the throbbing vein on his forehead. "YOU USE MY BEAUTIFUL FACE AS A LANDING PAD AND YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITHOUT EVEN A SMACK ON THE WRIST? YOU ARE _SO_ DEAD MEAT!"

And with that, the chase began, Dee once again knocking over what he had previously knocked over, save for the couch that Ryo was still planted on, and as usual, Bikky evaded his swipes and lunges. "NYA!" Bikky pulled his eyelid down and stuck out his tongue as Dee missed, once again, before bounding away again.

Sitting on the couch, Ryo held the melting ice cream cone in one hand and scratched his head with the other. _Why do things always seem to end up like this…?_ he wondered as he watched the morbid dance Dee and Bikky shared around his apartment.


	8. Chapter 8: Distracting the Bull

**A/N:** Shortest chapter of them all! Sorry... Anyway, this is the last chapter! I want to thank FortunateM for the review of Dee and Berkeley's personalities, or else I wouldn't have named this chapter what I did. I also want to thank Jollyolly for all the wonderful reviews on each chapter! It really made our day~ And lastly, I want to thank each and every one of you for reading Midnight at the Precinct. If you liked our portrayal of Berkeley, Ryo, and Dee, let us know! And if you don't, give us some pointers! We are always welcome to hearing what you'd like seen done differently. We have a few more fics planned, and I may even be posting the first chapter of one of them sometime soon, depending on when my editor gets to it. I warn you though, it will be a very long, very elaborate fic that may get boring at some points, BUT! It'll be M rated, so hopefully that'll keep your interests enough to keep reading.

Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this fic as much as we enjoyed writing it. Let us know if you want more Berkeley/Ryo fics!

* * *

><p><strong><span>Midnight at the Precinct<span>**  
><em>Chapter 8: Distracting the Bull<em>

Dee's expression was a mixture of boredom and agitation as he headed back to his desk. He swore this had to be the eighth time today that Ryo had sent him away to do something. It was either go to the copier or the coffee maker or get old files from Nick from the past couple cases they've been working on. It was like the instant he felt his butt warm up his seat, he was dragged out of it for one reason or another. And they weren't even busy with anything that day! It was all old crap that needed filing or looking over for references or some shit, and it was really starting to tick off the younger detective.

Ryo sat at his own desk, head in his hands, and all kinds of paperwork scattered before him. All day he had been forcing Dee to do this that and the other in an attempt to keep him and Berkeley from interacting. Even just seeing one another would probably be bad, so whenever he thought Berkeley was going to come into the room… Dee was sent away.

Dark eyes stared at the pile of copies he had made a few days ago, then to the new stack from today. _What am I going to do with all these copies…?_ he thought to himself, mentally groaning at the idea of needing to use them all for something, or Dee would get suspicious… if he wasn't already.

"Ugh…"

Long fingers raked through his blonde hair, as they had done numerous times that day already. Ryo was sure he looked like a disaster. Of course, since he hadn't bothered to take a bathroom break yet today- too scared that while he was away from his desk, Dee and the commissioner would get into a fight- he didn't notice that all his nervous worrying had just disheveled his hair into somewhat of a neat mess. Almost all the girls at the precinct had been staring at him, but since his mind was completely preoccupied, he didn't notice at all. Not that he actually noticed on a good day, but still.

"Here," Dee said as he tossed the stack of forty-something papers onto his partner's desk with a scowl and plopped unceremoniously back into his seat. Ryo's desk was half-swamped with reports, books, and even a couple boxes, and the mess had long made its way over to his. He could barely see the other's face, thanks to the numerous piles.

"Geez, Ryo, do we really have do all of this _right now_? It's not like we have a deadline or anything and half of it is you just sending me to make copies."

Ryo started as the new stack slammed into his desk before him, and he blinked his thoughts away, worried that Dee would be able to read them from his face if he kept them there too long.

"Thanks," he said, crinkling his eyebrows together as he tried to figure out which papers were the new ones, as they seemed to have scattered across his desk when Dee returned. Donning his glasses once more, he picked up a few leafs of paper and flipped through them. _Ah, okay…_ he thought, remembering what he had told Dee to go make copies of this time. The old report was marked for refilling and Ryo intended to get through every file that was on that list over the next couple of days. Whatever kept Dee moving…

Out of nowhere, Ryo's ear pricked with the sound of a handle being turned, regardless of the bumble of office work being done around them. In horror, he looked up and zeroed in on the knob to Berkeley's office turning. _Oh no! He just walked into his office! What am I going to do now? I haven't even gotten the next file out!_ he worried, frantically looking around for something, anything, to shove at Dee to get him to go away.

His glasses slipped, and Ryo caught sight of his coffee. _Perfect…_

The younger detective was leaning back in his chair when he heard the sound of ceramic hitting the desk, followed by the almost inaudible slush of liquid. His eyes shot open and he jumped up, immediately focusing on the coffee as it spread across Ryo's desk.

And the copies he had just made.

"Damnit, Ryo! I just copied those! How do you even manage that! This is why you tell me to keep MY desk clean! Seriously!" Dee barked. He got up from his chair and started to look for something to wipe up the spill before it ruined anymore of the paperwork. "Ugh, I swear!"

"S-Sorry, sorry!" Ryo said quickly, honestly not remembering just how much coffee had been in the mug. Thankfully, the only thing that got the brunt of the mess was the copies, as he had planned. "I'll clean it up, just…" he quickly looked towards Berkeley's office. The door was now open, but where was the commissioner? Maybe there was still time to get Dee into the back offices…

Ryo opened one of his desk drawers and pulled out one of the washcloths he used whenever Dee had these accidents and began dabbing at the liquid. "Could you go make those copies again?" he asked quickly. "And get a new file box from storage? I think it got into this one…" he added, taking out some of the files from the cardboard box he had sitting on his desk. In all honesty, he had no idea if the coffee had gotten into the box… but whatever kept Dee gone.

"Please?" he looked up at him, not noticing the liquid that neared the edge of the desk… With a sharp intake of breath, Ryo shot backwards and leapt up, brushing frantically at his pants as the coffee soaked through. _I really… really didn't think that through_… he inwardly groaned, mentally cursing himself for wearing khaki trousers that day. He had an extra pair in his locker, but still…

Dee grabbed the rag out of the blonde's hand and started wiping up the coffee, keeping any more of the dark liquid from spreading toward the edge. He was irritated with running around so much, irritated at the coffee spilling, irritated that it spilled on Ryo…

"Go change your pants," he told his partner in a fairly even tone. Ire still coursed through his words, but at this moment, he was trying to concentrate on Ryo's wet pants. Luckily it had been a while since Ryo had sent him to fetch some coffee, so he didn't have to be concerned over a possible burn.

He looked up from the mess and into Ryo's pleading eyes, his gaze unwavering. "And _you_ can go get the copies and a new box while you're at it," Dee added at the exact moment the commissioner's door shifted on its hinges and the man himself exited his office.

The lukewarm coffee had cooled almost instantly, sending a shiver up Ryo's spine. The fact that he finally found the older blonde didn't help any.

"Come on, Dee!" he pleaded, grabbing at the cloth. "This'll be the last time, I swear!" he lied, hoping his partner wouldn't see it reflected in his eyes. "By the time I get back from changing, the coffee would have soaked through even more files! Just go get the box!" he tried again, finally managing to grasp onto the towel.

"Look, Ryo, I've got this under control!" Dee said more firmly- or rather, more loudly- than last time. He jerked the cloth away from the blonde once again, his grip causing several drops of coffee to be wrung from the rag and splatter on the floor and both of their pants. Considering Dee coincidentally was wearing dark brown pants, he didn't care. "Now go!"

The commissioner watched the scene of the two men arguing, over what he wasn't certain, with as amused expression. It didn't really surprise him, especially considering the events over the past several weeks. Whatever the issue was, it couldn't have been anything major since their voices hadn't reached that pitch that he had recently grown accustomed to.

However, it was odd, the older blond noted. This was the first time he had even seen Dee ever since he had arrived several hours ago. Not that he wanted to see the childish detective, of course. Still, something seemed… off.

He shifted in his position next to the doorframe and pushed his glasses further up his nose. Luckily for Berkeley, he had another pair at home of the same prescription as his previous pair, though these glasses were a dark brown instead of the silver he usually wore. He knew it was a good idea to purchase two pairs the last time he updated his prescription and last night proved him right.

Berkeley's thoughts drifted briefly to the events of the previous evening: dinner, the time spent at the bar, walking Ryo home, the kiss… His breath stilled in his throat and his usual piercing gaze dimmed at the not-so fond memory before being pushed, or rather, kicked aside. He had yet to talk to Ryo about any of it, as not only did the detective seem overly busy, but also because he had matters of his own to tend to as well. In fact, he was about to head out for a meeting, so he shouldn't be lingering like he was, but…

Ryo fell forward slightly with the force of Dee yanking his salvation away from him. _This wasn't supposed to happen!_ he thought frantically, dark eyes taking on a hint of hysteria as he fought against pushing Dee towards the copy room.

It was then that he looked up and his eyes met Berkeley's. His heart pounded the worry into his chest, but he couldn't tear his gaze away from the commissioner's. He felt his cheeks heat up as the memories from last night—_all the memories_—flooded the forefront of his mind.

_Oh, no no no no…._ he quickly pushed the scene aside, but still he found himself locked onto Berkeley's hazel stare. In a rush, he shifted so that Dee would be between the two of them, and therefore unable to see the older blonde if he was looking at Ryo… but unfortunately, Dee wasn't bulky enough to hide the commissioner from his own sight.

"Dee…" he groaned, his partner's name coming out more as a cough as he found his voice. "Why are you being so unreasonable…?" he tried, thinking that perhaps the guilty act would work. Not that it had in the past, but hey… right now, he was _kinda_ desperate.

Just the thought of Berkeley and Dee getting into an argument sent Ryo's blood pressure skyrocketing, and add in the fact that they were at the office… That would just be even worse!

But even so, Ryo pursed his lips together in an attempt to get them to stop tingling as they were now… from which kiss, he wasn't sure, but there was no doubt it was from one of them. He had confirmed it last night, that Dee's kiss was sweeter… but Berkeley…

A dusting of pink trickled into his cheeks as he thought about the shear intensity of the kiss they had shared outside his apartment. Even though he had been intoxicated at the time, Ryo remembered it clearly. It felt almost as if Berkeley thought he would disappear if he were to stop touching him, kissing him…

And for some reason, Ryo couldn't get that power to rid itself from his memory.

"I'm being unreasonable?" Dee countered. "I'm not the one treating my partner like a lackey _and_ I'm not the one standing there, looking like I pissed myself! Go change and-"

The brunette continued his rant, unaware that Ryo wasn't even looking at him anymore; however, the person who Ryo was looking at was fully aware of the frantic gaze. And the flush across his face, Berkeley noted, his golden eyebrows arching slightly.

It was at that point that the commissioner realized exactly why he hadn't seen the annoying younger detective all day. Never had he seen Ryo in such a fuss with both himself and Dee in the same room together. Sometimes Ryo was a bit fidgety or entreating or sometimes even stepped out of the picture entirely, but he never actually tried to remove Dee from the room. In fact, usually it was the other way around.

So… Ryo was trying to prevent his partner from seeing him or starting an argument with him? The thought struck the commissioner with a touch of tenderness that sent the tiniest of smiles to his lips, but the smile was immediately lost to an entirely different thought as well as a completely different look. The right corner of Berkeley's mouth quirked upward into a grin only to be immediately followed by the other corner, his expression secretive and even a bit wicked as he continued to stare at the younger blonde.

_Thanks for last night, _his gaze seemed to almost shout across the room. He was certainly thinking it as he continued to grin at the detective for a second longer before tearing his gaze away. Following his original intent, he continued on toward the meeting that was surely waiting on his arrival to begin, thoughts of Ryo and the kiss they shared lingering in the forefront of his mind.

Ryo felt his face heat up like he was in a sauna at the look Berkeley gave him and it took everything he had to plant his hands firmly on Dee's chest and shove him back towards the storeroom. He didn't even think enough to throw some files at him to copy.

"_Just do it, Dee!_" he cut his partner off mid-complaint, shooting him the angriest glare he could possibly come up with at that second before storming off towards the locker room.

_Berkeley__ was in the middle of the room! Of course someone else saw him_! Ryo's mind screeched at him as he walked away, but even as he looked around for the accusing stares he so expected from his coworkers, he only found the usual sympathy of being paired with Dee. Surely someone else had seen the completely obvious look on the commissioner's face… right?

"Oomph!" was all Dee could manage to say as he was propelled backward, almost stumbling to keep from falling over. "Hey, wait! RYO!" But the blonde was already gone, storming off toward what Dee presumed was the locker room. "You're going to get the copies and box, right_? RIGHT_?"

He was answered by silence and the expanse of his partner's back and stiff shoulders. Dee scowled for a moment, but the peeved expression melted away into exasperation. _Damnit_, he thought to himself with a sigh, a sour frown on the younger detective's face as he headed toward the storeroom to grab another filing box.

_Why is it, in the end, I always do what he wants_? Dee thought as he trudged along, but then disregarded the thought.

He knew the answer to that. It was obvious, after all…

~.~.~.~.~

By the time he got to the locker room, Ryo wagered he would need to spend some time in here to cool his head. He had resisted pulling his hair out trying to convince himself that he was the only one who saw the noticeably predatory smirk the blonde had given him. Hopefully when Berkeley turned away from him, it meant that he was going somewhere Dee couldn't attack him…

Hopefully…

It took Ryo less than three minutes to change, opting not only for a new pair of pants but a completely different outfit. Somewhere along the way, he hoped the change of clothes would help him stop feverishly thinking of the two men he worked with.

But alas, Dee and Berkeley battled furiously for his mind's attention. Berkeley on one side, his powerful gaze piercing his resolve, and Dee on the other… his caring, albeit forceful, feelings overwhelming whatever he had once deemed a reality.

Without thinking, he found his fist connecting with the metal of the locker in front of him, his forehead soon following as he sought to calm the war that threatened him.

"_What do I do_…?" he whispered, but the cold steel offered nothing but silence and the promise of headaches to come...


End file.
